Traffic moves on the I-15 freeway in this time exposure photograph Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 | 2 a.m.
The hours of operation for high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Southern Nevada will be reduced as part of a plan to evaluate the possibility of eliminating them altogether, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Monday in a news release.
The Nevada Transportation Board of Directors voted to limit HOV lane operation from 6-8 a.m. and from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, the release stated. The lanes will be open to all general-purpose traffic at all other times.
“Since 2019, NDOT has been making adjustments—including installing additional entry and exit points along I-15—to better align the HOV system with the driving habits of the general public,” NDOT director Tracy Larkin Thomason stated in the release.
The new policy will begin in May, though an exact date for the change to take effect has not yet been announced.
NDOT also will conduct a multiyear National Environmental Protection Act study to assess social, economic and environmental impacts — alongside transportation and engineering needs — associated with eliminating the lane restrictions entirely in Southern Nevada.
Any recommendation would ultimately need to be approved by the Federal Highway Administration.
There are over 20 miles of continuous HOV lanes in Las Vegas on U.S. 95, the release stated.
