 HOV/HOT lane during evening peak hours starting Monday, July 7.){kind=link}
METRO is rolling out a new policy to ease rush-hour congestion by restricting solo drivers from using the I-69 North (Eastex) HOV/HOT lane during evening peak hours starting Monday, July 7.
Under the revised schedule, only high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) will be allowed to use the Eastex HOV/HOT lane from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Single-occupant vehicles (SOVs) will be prohibited during that time window in order to boost traffic efficiency and improve safety during the busiest part of the day.
The decision comes after traffic along the corridor began slowing to near standstill conditions, prompting concern from riders and METRO field personnel.
“Through the METRONow plan, we are focused on improving regional mobility not just for our riders, but for the entire community,” said Interim METRO President & CEO Tom Jasien. “Maintaining free-flowing HOV/HOT lanes is essential to meeting our system-wide standards for reliability, and it also helps make travel easier and more predictable for drivers.”
The new evening rule aligns I-69 North with METRO’s other major HOV/HOT corridors, which already have peak-hour restrictions in both directions. Morning HOV-only access from 6:30 to 8 a.m. will continue as usual.
To support enforcement, METRO has coordinated with its police department and operations contractor ahead of the July 7 launch.
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