First high-occupancy lanes in Michigan implemented part-time on I-75
OAKLAND COUNTY — Michigan will see its first high-occupancy lanes implemented this November on Interstate 75 between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard … at least some of the time.
Published November 1, 2023
Sgt. Ben Hancock of the Troy Police Department said in an email that “during peak hours of 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., only vehicles with two or more occupants can use the lane. In addition, motorcycles, buses and emergency response vehicles can use the lane at any time. During off-peak hours the high occupancy lane is treated as any other lane on the freeway. … A high occupancy lane violation is a civil infraction with a fine of $135 (2 points) and $195 (2 points) for a commercial motor vehicle.”
The implementation of the high-occupancy lane was always intended to begin following the completion of the I-75 rehabilitation project.
“The whole I-75 reconstruction project was about $1 billion, and these (high-occupancy lane) costs were part of that project,” said Morosi. “It rebuilt over 18 miles of freeway, replaced 47 bridges, modernized interchanges at Big Beaver, 14 Mile Road, 12 Mile Road, and constructed a new braid ramp with I-696, and built a 4-mile-long drainage tunnel.”
He added that some other portions of the refurbishment project were put in place to complement the high-occupancy lanes.
“We rehabilitated a carpool lot at the Adams Road exit route near the top of the changed portion of I-75. There are two new lots at 12 Mile Road, near the I-75 interchange there,” said Morosi.
Morosi said drivers simply need to become acquainted with the new rules and that the rules are clearly marked for people to see prior to entering each end of the designated area.
“Some people are confused because of the high-occupancy lanes having designated times,” he said. “The two or more occupants have to be human occupants, so no pets or cardboard cutouts. Besides the designated hours around rush hours during the week, that lane can be used by solo drivers without the risk of citation. Close to 70% of the time it is still usable as a solo-use lane. … They will be marked with diamonds on the lanes and some signage on the side of the road. That’s the national signage to mark such lanes.”
Morosi admitted that there has been some skepticism about the high-occupancy lanes being used in Michigan, but he believes that drivers will come to appreciate them after they see the benefits.
“Anything that’s new will come with some trepidation and skepticism,” he said. “We acknowledge that. That was the case when we built the flex route on M-23, near Ann Arbor, and complaints there have faded. Given time, these new methods generally work very, very well and improve safety.”
