HOT lanes may soon take a toll

If you're one of those drive-alone commuters who always wishes you could drive — legally — in the less-crowded carpool lane, your wish may soon be granted.

Of course, you'll have to pay for that privilege.

The Utah Transportation Commission on Friday voted unanimously to allow the Utah Department of Transportation to begin design work and hire a consultant for advice on how to turn high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-15 into high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes.

That doesn't mean it's a done deal, but it does mean UDOT will spend $100,000 over the next few months preparing for the conversion. Then department officials will return to the commission with a recommendation on whether to go forward with the HOT-lanes plan.

"I would say we are much more on that side . . . " UDOT deputy director Carlos Braceras said of his staff's leaning toward a recommendation in favor of HOT lanes. "The administration (of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.) is supportive of new concepts and is looking for the implementation of HOT lanes sooner rather than later."

The HOV lanes would remain in place and in use for carpoolers, but they would become accessible to anyone willing to pay for that access.

"It really provides an expansion of choice, and that is one of the things we are trying to provide more of," Braceras said.

If approved by the commission, HOT lanes could become a reality by the end of this year.

UDOT is currently adding HOV lanes in Utah County. Later this year, Utah will have a total of 36 miles of HOV lanes — available to motorcycles, buses and any vehicles with two or more occupants — stretching from Salt Lake City to Provo. If those lanes are also converted into HOT lanes, solo motorists could pay a monthly fee to drive in HOV lanes despite not having a passenger on board.

That monthly fee has not been determined yet but could be in the neighborhood of $20. Anything from $5 to $100 a month has been suggested, Braceras noted.

In any case, Braceras said he would not expect HOT lanes to pay for themselves. It likely will cost the state between $300,000 to $600,000 a year to offer HOT lanes, he said.

But that will be worth it if it means many Utahns can cut down on their commute times — including those who don't pay for HOT lanes, because there will be fewer single-occupant vehicles in the general-purpose lanes.