WSDOT Wants To Raise Fines For HOV Violations

SEATTLE, WA - A few weeks ago, right-wing KIRO radio host Todd Herman bragged in an article that he drives his car in bus lanes "all the time." According to court records, Herman has racked up multiple infractions for driving in bus lanes, but the fines apparently aren't steep enough to prevent him from continuing to cut in line.

But WSDOT and a few state lawmakers are mounting an effort to increase fines for HOV cheaters, hoping to dissuade drivers who are willing to pay the current $136 fine.

HB 1710 was introduced in the Legislature Monday. The bill would keep that initial $136 fine, and then add increasingly higher fines for repeat offenders: $250 for a second offense, $350 for every offense after that (plus statutory assessments).

The fines would apply to standard HOV lanes, plus transit-only lanes. The push for steeper fines comes as WSDOT and Sound Transit expand bus shoulder driving. A stretch of I-405 in Bothell has had a bus shoulder lane for a while. WSDOT last October added another one between Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrance for Sound Transit and Community Transit buses.

HOV lane "dummies," people who put a mannequin or anything human-shaped in the passenger seat to gain access to HOV lanes, are common. As of October 2018, troopers had cited 226 repeat HOV violators. Total repeat offenders in 2017 was 428, 403 in 2016.

And remember: if you see Todd Herman and his white Lexus in the bus lane, or any other HOV lane cheater, you can report them via WSDOT's HERO program at 1-877-764-HERO.

Patch file photo