On The Dallas Morning News Transportation blog, Rodger Jones asks, "Should Dallas HOV drivers turn in cheaters?" Seattle runs a program where drivers report offenders who then are mailed educational materials about rules and regulations for use of the HOV lanes. Opinions about the effectiveness of the program are mixed, but it is popular with the driving public.
HOV lanes are a popular source of complaint. Some drivers can't find them (e.g., on US 75 north of LBJ). Some drivers find the frequently broken pylons a driving hazard. Some drivers just hate to see open lanes when they are stuck in traffic. Some drivers think that building more lanes open to all would do more to relieve congestion.
There's some validity to these complaints. But the bottom line is that America's love affair with the automobile running on imported oil can't go on forever. Some combination of car-pooling, public transportation, denser development and alternative fuel development is essential. Wishing HOV lanes would just go away is just that -- wishful thinking. Even if they did, our transportation problems wouldn't be solved. We've got HOV lanes now. Let's make the most of them.
So, should Dallas HOV drivers turn in cheaters? Sure. Not because it necessarily increases compliance, but because it will make the law-abiders feel better. The cheaters probably have been deriving some satisfaction from flouting a hated law. Now, if the law-abiders were to derive some satisfaction with sticking it to someone else, so be it. Why should the cheaters have all the fun?
Once we're all having fun, how about we get on with those other, better solutions: public transit and alternative fuel development?
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