By Susanna Ray

Herald Writer

OLYMPIA — Tight financial times and ever-worsening traffic congestion could convince state transportation officials to do what they’ve resisted for years: Open up carpool lanes on nights and weekends.

The state Transportation Commission has approved a plan for a study in the next few months to look at allowing all traffic in HOV lanes during off-peak hours.

The Department of Transportation expects to complete the study and make a recommendation to the commission by June.

The group has considered the concept before. Gov. Gary Locke endorsed the idea two years ago, and the commission considered opening the lanes on weekends under a pilot program.

But after reviewing the information available at the time, "we decided there wasn’t a benefit to the system," said Chris Marr, the commission’s chairman. "The data showed there wouldn’t be significant reduction in congestion to justify the cost in the confusion and changing the signs, and diminishing the integrity of the system."

Opening up carpool lanes to all traffic has been a Republican battle cry the past few years. It was again this year, but Democrats had the majority and said no, said Charlie Howard, regional planning and policy director for the Department of Transportation.

House Democrats on the Transportation Committee did, however, agree to send a letter on Feb. 28 asking the commission to explore the idea again. And commissioners agreed in their monthly meeting Wednesday to do so.

"My mind is more open than it has been in the past," Marr said afterward, adding that officials are recognizing the need for low-cost alternatives to traffic solutions. Without the money to add new lanes, they might have to make do with using carpool lanes.

But the new, expanded study will be data-driven, not anecdotal, Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald stressed. It will show the usage trends and how many people are carried in HOV lanes each hour compared to adjoining lanes. Marr and MacDonald also made a commitment not to do anything that would jeopardize the viability of transit systems.

The study will determine whether making changes to the HOV lane system would violate eligibility requirements for federal funding or violate air quality and sound regulations. It will also look at other states’ experiences with HOV systems. And it will consider design issues, since many HOV lanes are simply restriped shoulders, not built to withstand the heavy load of regular traffic.

The Washington State Patrol will have input on the challenges of enforcing any changes that might be made.

By June, the department expects to make a recommendation on several possibilities, including opening the lanes to all traffic during the night; opening them on weekends; changing their use following accidents; and allowing flexibility based on local conditions.

The Department of Transportation is directed by the Transportation Commission, which is a board of seven private citizens appointed by the governor to six-year terms. Only the commission and the Legislature have the power to approve changes in how HOV lanes are used.

You can call Herald Writer Susanna Ray at 1-360-586-3803 or send e-mail to ray@heraldnet.com.