Highway 290 HOV Lane

[IronTiger]

Alright, so I don't commute into Houston on a daily basis. But I do visit or pass through it (every few months) and constantly visit it on Google Earth. One of the most fascinating things en route is the HOV lane. It starts somewhere in Cypress (or whereabouts). It avoids most of the pesky exits and entrances and cars speed along it when everyone else is struggling.

Then it comes to 610. Rather than merge into 610 south, it pours people onto Katy Road, which appears to have no good access to other highways...is the HOV badly designed or am I missing something here?

[AtticaFlinch]

Alright, so I don't commute into Houston on a daily basis. But I do visit or pass through it (every few months) and constantly visit it on Google Earth. One of the most fascinating things en route is the HOV lane. It starts somewhere in Cypress (or whereabouts). It avoids most of the pesky exits and entrances and cars speed along it when everyone else is struggling.

Then it comes to 610. Rather than merge into 610 south, it pours people onto Katy Road, which appears to have no good access to other highways...is the HOV badly designed or am I missing something here?

All of 290 is designed badly. The HOV lane is no exception.

[JamesL]

The 290 HOV ends by METRO's Northwest Transit Center, where all express buses stop before taking another ramp directly from the transit center on to I-10. The HOVs are METRO's responsibility and are primarily designed to suit the needs of METRO's commuter express services.

[musicman]

Remember not all commuters coming in on 290 are heading downtown. The NW transit center stop allows those heading to near west loop destinations (Galleria Greenway, etc) to exit.

[IronTiger]

Oh, I DO see the ramp to I-10. I knew it wasn't as bad as I thought it was!

It was kind of hidden and not mapped out on Google.

[JLWM8609]

Alright, so I don't commute into Houston on a daily basis. But I do visit or pass through it (every few months) and constantly visit it on Google Earth. One of the most fascinating things en route is the HOV lane. It starts somewhere in Cypress (or whereabouts). It avoids most of the pesky exits and entrances and cars speed along it when everyone else is struggling.

Then it comes to 610. Rather than merge into 610 south, it pours people onto Katy Road, which appears to have no good access to other highways...is the HOV badly designed or am I missing something here?

Katy Road will take you to directly to I-10 either way you go. Plus, the HOV doesn't dump you right onto Katy Road, it leads into the NW transit center. Then, you can access I-10 east of the loop via the ramps from the transit center.

[IronTiger]

I heard the HOV lane technically costs money to drive on, even if you have more than one person in a car! Is this true?

(I also heard Houston wanted to convert all the HOV lanes to toll lanes anyway, so is this it? )

[musicman]

I heard the HOV lane technically costs money to drive on, even if you have more than one person in a car! Is this true?

for hov no, you don't have to pay if you have more than one person in a car.

(I also heard Houston wanted to convert all the HOV lanes to toll lanes anyway, so is this it? )

currently only one hov lane has fees implemented (i-10) for single drivers who choose to pay, but carpools are still free. after i-10 reconstruction, there is much more capacity which gives single drivers another option.