Can someone explain those white posts on the new HOV lane for Central Expressway?
I was so excited to see the most-driven freeway in Dallas finally go green (so to speack). As the massive construction of the so-called "crown jewel" of mass transit, the High Five, emerged, I was dismayed to see a sea of concrete on the horizon.
But it didn't take me long to notice the strange bridge in the middle of the highway that seemed to lead to nowhere. It wasn't in use; it wasn't part of the lanes in use - it had to be for an HOV lane! I was so excited!
I watched as the freeway expanded to create more space for environmentally-conscious drivers. I eagerly anticipated the day when car-poolers would be rewarded for their socially responsible behavior. And I hoped that the very existence of such a lane would influence more commuters to get on the fast track to work.
When I noticed the white posts, I figured they were a construction barrier to keep ever-hurried Dallas drivers from pre-emptively using the carpool lane. I was more than a little surprised when the day the lane opened (late December), the obstructions were still in place.
I admit I haven't driven all the way north to see how far they go, but I can tell you that they are obstinately in place until at least Parker Road in Plano - the first place you can get out of the HOV lane from Dallas, from what I can tell.
What this means to me is that the carpool lane is really meant for well-to-do folks living up north - not for more moderately incomed folks in Richardson, and certainly not for those coming in from Garland, for example.
What is the point of having a carpool lane from which you cannot escape? What if someone living at Beltline works in Dowtown? How do you get home if you have a passenger in the car? Are you doomed to be grouped in the slow, single-rider traffic?
Not only are these white pickets a blatantly classist offense, but they're also a safety hazard. As you drive by them, notice how many are brand spanking new. That's because some poor driver has side-swiped his vehicle in the narrow space against the fence. Who knows how many accidents have harmed drivers health due to these obstacles in the path?
And they keep getting replaced. How much money do you think that costs? Here, we'll help you save gas and reduce fossil fuel emissions, only to have an endless supply of white plastic posts. Sounds like the definition of conservation to me.
So, if someone knows the pragmatic reason for these stubborn barriers, please enlighten me in the comments below. Otherwise, I'll just chalk it up to the usual Dallas nonsense. They need to go.
