City Council votes in favor of carpool lane

IN FACT OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS — TRAFFIC HAS GOTTEN WORSE -- A LOT WORSE. A NEW STUDY FINDS ALBUQUERQUE DRIVERS ARE SPENDING 33 HOURS A YEAR JUST STUCK IN TRAFFIC WHILE GOING TO AND FROM WORK... THAT’S NEARLY AN ENTIRE WORK WEEK -- LOST. AND ALL THAT LOST TIME ON THE ROAD GUZZLES AN EXTRA 21 GALLONS OF GAS A YEAR FOR EACH ALBUQUERQUE DRIVER.. BUT A PARTIAL SOLUTION COULD COME OUR WAY. THEY'RE CALLED H-O-V LANES... OR CARPOOL LANES. BUT NOT EVERYONE THINKS THE IDEA IS GOING TO FLY IN ALBUQUERQUE. JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR COORS AND MONTANO TO EXPLAIN. JEFF? THE IDEA OF ADDING AN H-O-V LANE HERE IS RAISING A LOT OF DEBATE AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS - ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN LARGER CITIES - AND SAY THEY'VE SEEN IT FAIL BEFORE. 'I just can't imagine that the taxpayers aren't going to be up in arms about building a whole lane that they can't drive in if they're by themselves'CITY COUNCILOR SALLY MAYER VOTED AGAINST YESTERDAY'S RESOLUTION TO ADD AN H-O-V LANE ON COORS BOULEVARD. IT PASSED - BUT SHE SAYS THE IDEA IS DESTINED FOR FAILURE. 'I think it's an outrageous concept, unfortunately there are other places that have done it but I would hope we would never do it in albuquerque'UNDER THE RESOLUTION, THE H-O-V LANE WOULD BE ADDED WHEN COORS BOULEVARD IS EXPANDED TO FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC IN EACH DIRECTION - THAT'S STILL SEVERAL YEARS OUT. IF AND WHEN THAT ADDITION IS MADE - ALBUQUERQUE POLICE WOULD HAVE TO ENFORCE IT - AND WATCH OUT FOR DRIVERS USING DUMMIES OR PUTTING HATS ON THEIR DOGS TO TRY AND LOOK LIKE THEIR CARPOOLING. 'they've had carpool lanes in california for years and they don't seem to be working there a lot either''I think it's good for highways, not for main roads into cities and stuff'BUT SOME THINK IT WOULD MAKE THEIR COMMUTE EASIER. 'I think it would be a good thing, I mean you would save money by not paying for gas and there wouldn't be so much traffic. I wouldn't be sitting in traffic for so l...