Long Island Expressway drivers got bad news when the NY State DOT recently announced that construction of the last section of HOV lanes, in Nassau County, would not end until spring 2005. DOT blames the delay on unexpected add-ons such as landscaping and a concrete/asphalt shortage. The $880 million project to build HOV lanes along 42 miles of the LIE started in 1992.

NYSDOT has released new HOV usage data current through the end of September. It shows HOV use peaking in 2001 and leveling off afterward, with slight declines during 2002 and 2003 — not unexpected given the post-Sept. 11^th 2001 economic downturn. This year, HOV usage is back to its peak 2001 level. But though absolute vehicle volumes are at the highest point since the HOV lanes opened, vehicles per HOV lane-mile has dropped about 40% (both east- and westbound) since that metric peaked in 1997.

HOV usage as a percentage of total L.I.E. traffic grew steadily in the second half of the 1990s. But as with HOV lane usage, it peaked in 2001, at 12.8 percent, and has stagnated since.

Next spring, when DOT opens the remaining 12 miles of HOV lanes, it will have to attract 960 additional carpool vehicles to those lanes to keep pace with the current rate of 46.7 vehicles per HOV lane mile. In order to get back to 1997 levels, HOV usage would have to more than double, adding 2,086 vehicles over the 2004 figure.

Long Island Expressway Volumes

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