Question re: carpool lanes

[Llisa]

OK, I know this is probably a really dumb question but we don't have car pool lanes here in Calgary, Alberta where I live so .......

How does one qualify to drive in the Carpool lanes? Do you just have to have more than one person in the vehicle or must it be more than one ADULT person? Presumably, the fact that I'm a tourist and not someone commuting to work doesn't make any difference????

TIA for your input

 

[pbuyse2]

Check out the site below, i hope it answers your questions.

http://www.socalcommute.org/howtouse.html

 

[year2late]

In my tourist experience doing tourist things going tourist places - carpool lanes are for two human passengers (fetus excluded)

This means actual human beings and not cardboard cutouts or inflatables.


Many carpool lanes only let you exit every third offramp or so, so watch your signs. (This is actually a good thing as it prevents folks from using the carpool lane as a passing lane, thus you get from point a to point b faster.

 

[Uncle Buck]

^ some in LA are 3-per. Make sure you read the signs...

 

[lority]

Like the last poster said some carpool lanes here in California are
3 per car, there are signs on the freeways.

 

[lulubelle]

They really can save time on the freeways, so try to utilize them if you can. Have a great time on your trip

 

[Matt&Sarahsmom]

Just be careful in So. CA...here in the Bay Area you can get in and out of lanes when you want; down there you can only enter and exit at certain points. Almost caused a few accidents when I was driving in San Diego....

 

[din]

Matt&Sarahsmom is correct, just make sure you know when you need to move out of the carpool to get to the right hand lane paticularly in LA as you may over shoot your exit!!!

lulubelle: Depends on the time of day carpool may be a better choice.

 

[ChibiJones]

On a side note regarding freeways, during rush hour they will stagger cars as they enter. On the on-ramp, you will see a light that flashes greed & red. There will be signs that say something like "one car per green". Be sure to wait your turn.

I mention this because my BF read the sign aloud & instead of asking me (I grew up in So.Cal.) what it meant, just blew right through the red light. Luckily he didn't get a ticket. But, he did get a less-than-calm explanation of what he did wrong

 

[MateasMom]

Originally posted by Matt&Sarahsmom
Just be careful in So. CA...here in the Bay Area you can get in and out of lanes when you want; down there you can only enter and exit at certain points. Almost caused a few accidents when I was driving in San Diego....

Yea, watch the little green signs on the divider between your carpool lane and the opposing traffic. They will say 'Exit X, Y, Z' before a carpool exit so that you know if you want one of those exits it is time to get off. -- Also, if you are coming to Disneyland from the 5 going south, you dont' need to get out of the carpool lane to get to DLR. It has an offramp from the carpool lane. Some people get spooked at the last minute and try and zoom out of the carpool lane and into the regular exit.

 

[sgtdilbert]

Hahaha, what's funny is that you're being correctly told that you're supposed to stay in the carpool lanes until you get the broken line. On my 45 minute commute each day, I see at least 5 - 10 cars completely ignore this and cross the double yellow and have never seen anyone busted. I don't do it, but hey, if you got to get over, get over...

s.