Carpool Lane Hours To Change On Bay Area Freeway Amid Widespread Backlash

NORTH BAY, CA — Carpool lane hours on Highway 101 through Sonoma and Marin counties will be shortened, a change transportation officials said will better align with peak travel times and ease congestion for North Bay commuters.

Once new signs are swapped out in late February, the lanes will operate from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m. weekdays. The updated hours will be consistent across both counties, stretching from the Richardson Bay Bridge in Marin County to Windsor in Sonoma County.

Since the current hours started in July, carpool lanes take up 9 hours of the day on the Marin-Sonoma Narrows, a roadway shared by compact cars, SUVs, utility trucks, and big-wheel trailer trucks hauling cargo.

The change follows months of complaints by commuters about the longer hours and pressure from local and state officials to reverse the changes made in July.

Officials conceded that the longer hours for carpool-only lanes led to congestion and delays, but they put some of the responsibility for the problem on new rules for electric cars.

Access to carpool lanes for solo drivers with a "clear air vehicle" decal ended in October. Officials said that put more cars into non-commuter lanes.

The change was more dramatic for Marin drivers than for motorists further north.

In Marin, the carpool hours were limited to a few hours in opposite directions, allowing drivers to use more lanes over more hours than in Sonoma County. The majority of complaints came from Marin drivers.

"That's hard to change," Caltrans spokesman Jeff Weiss said.

Weiss said the rollback maintains agencies' support for carpool lanes and encourages transit use in the North Bay, while still helping to relieve congestion on the US-101 corridor.

However, there are fewer alternatives to driving in the North Bay than in other areas that connect to BART. There is also no room to build additional lanes, Weiss said.

Lawmakers and drivers had doubts even before July, yet pressed on, hoping that drivers would adapt.

When it became clear that drivers would not adjust, California Assemblyman Damon Connolly and other local lawmakers began working with transportation officials in both counties on a proposal to curb the hours.

Connolly, who represents Marin and Sonoma counties, told the Marin Independent Journal in October that the area needed a solution that continues to encourage carpooling while realistically addressing the needs of residents who use 101 as well.

Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan said in a statement that concerns about the new hours proved valid. But he appreciated the willingness of Caltrans to adjust the hours to better match peak travel times while continuing to support carpooling and transit.

The updated hours strike the right balance for North Bay commuters, San Rafael Mayor Kate Colin said in a statement.

Transportation and Climate Authority chairwoman and Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said in a statement the adjustment avoids “hours of unnecessary gridlock” while maintaining commitments to carpooling and transit use.

The new hours replace the current schedule, weekdays 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.

Read the full Caltrans announcement here.

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