Will be spent scrubbing all the diamonds off the road and removing all the 'hero' signs. This should take about three years to complete.

-- maddjak (maddjak@hotmail.com), February 17, 2000

Answers

Huzzah! I hate those 'hero' signs. Our government has no business asking ordinary citizens to snitch on each other.

-- FH (pvtc@aol.com), February 19, 2000.

I have a friend who salvaged an old mannequin and a styrofoam wig stand. Rigged it up with an old windshield wiper motor that he plugs into the cigarette lighter. It slowly moves the "head" back and forth, while the dummy sits in the front passenger seat wearing sunglasses. Looks real as can be, and his SOV+dummy uses all the HOV lanes without difficulty. Any entrepreneurs out there? Looks like a growth industry if 711 doesn't pass.

Mikey

-- Mike Alworth (m_alworth@olympusnet.com), February 20, 2000.

Time to test opening HOV lanes to all 2000-02-25 For years we've argued over HOV lanes. Now, finally, there is a chance to test their value. Next week, the Metropolitan King County Council will be asked to approve opening them up to all motorists in non-rush hour times. The council should say ``yes'' and send the idea along to the state Transportation Commission. The commission should follow with its own OK. This test, which could last a year, could determine the value of restricting a freeway lane throughout the day when rush-hour isn't a factor. We could see if essentially adding another freeway lane makes traffic move more smoothly and what, if anything, the impact is on those who now have exclusive use of the lane. The best thing is we won't have to pour new concrete to get the answer. The county council's Transportation Committee already has approved the idea. Four Republicans, whose districts are plagued by the congestion on I-405 and highways 167 and 520, voted for the idea. Two Democrats did not. The committee vote also wants stiffer fines for HOV-lane violators and wants the state to better manage reversible lanes. We've opposed the current HOV-lane idea, not because we don't think they're used in rush-hour, but because the state has ignored the general motorist. Instead of adding more general purpose lanes to complement HOV lanes, the state lets drivers stew in congestion. Outside of early morning or late afternoon, HOV lanes are generally empty while the rest of the freeways and highways remain jammed. No wonder people turn to initiatives to seek relief. Opponents make the ``slippery slope'' argument -- once HOVs are gone at noon, can 7 a.m. be far behind? But that's not a given, especially since some federal officials are hollering that the state would have to give back $815 million in federal funding if it eliminated its 95 miles of car-pool lanes. By the way, there's no guarantee that would happen. It's time to stop the dry debate over HOV lanes and traffic congestion. Let's test what happens on our highways when all drivers can use all lanes-- and let's do it now. http://www.eastsidejournal.com/sited/retr_story.pl/13305

-- (craigcar@crosswinds.net), February 25, 2000.