By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-847643.mp3
Dallas, TX –
An additional section of HOV lane is open for the westbound I-30, Tom Landry Highway commute this afternoon. But, KERA's BJ Austin says the biggest change is yet to come.
The new section, 9 miles between Sylvan and Loop 12, is open for business to double occupancy vehicles, buses and motorcycles. It completes the HOV from downtown Dallas to Highway 360 in across the Tarrant County line. That's a total of 15 miles - eastbound 6am to 10am; westbound 3pm to 7pm. DART's Morgan Lyons says there are more changes on the way. In about a year, you'll have to pay to drive that HOV.
Lyons: What we'd like to do there is introduce the concept of congestion pricing. So, depending on who wanted to be in, how many people were in the vehicle, when they wanted to travel, those sorts of things, you could purchase access to the lanes. So, even if you were by yourself, there would be a way for you to gain access to the lane.
Prices have yet to be determined. Lyons says the lanes will eventually extend between Dallas and Fort Worth. In the meantime, he says commuters can cut about 15 minutes, each way, off the drive if they use the Sylvan to 360 HOV.