HOV lanes come to Detroit

This is something I never thought I'd see-- lanes reserved for high occupancy vehicles (HOV lanes) in Detroit. They are a common sight in other cities, but not here. I can't imagine the violent response to the idea that you can't drive your car anywhere, anytime. Heck, I've had guys pass me on the expressway ON THE SHOULDER AT 70 MPH!

Here's how the lanes are getting started: the state Department of Transportation is rebuilding the interchange area around the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. That will require basically closing I-75 for about two years, and that will cause drastic impacts on traffic headed north from the downriver areas. So, SMART and DDOT are running joint express bus routes from Gibralter to downtown, and traffic is being rerouted to several other main arteries, including Michigan Avenue (US-12). That's where the HOV lanes come in. Michigan Avenue will have lanes set aside during rush hours for high occupancy vehicles and busses only.

We'll see how it will work, but even though it might be a sneaky way to get HOV lanes going, at least they'll get a test in Michigan for the first time. I'll guess that they'll be more common here in five years.