Those Yellow Lines in Califormia
 

Fella's

Have you ever noticed in California that the diamond lanes are segregated by yellow lines that are commonly different. I was wondering this morning why some diamond lanes have a single set of double yellow lines and then other place have two sets of solid double yellow lines. I have always understood that it was taboo to cross any of these and could result in a 271+ fine. So what does the double set mean..."You really better not cross these" It seems like a single set would suffice...allot of people pay no attention anyway... I dunno.. just wondering?

Thanks

Bob

I think a double yellow indicates that cars in both lanes may not change into the other; cars not in the car pool lane cannot arbitrarily get into the car pool lane (irrespective of their passenger qualifications) and cars in the car pool lane cannot arbitrarily switch to the other lane. IIRC from the last time I was in LA, there are specific car pool lane "access zones "

They could put 4 sets of double yellow lines and people would still cross them. Maybe you get a ticket for crossing each set, although I have yet to ever see anyone get a ticket for it.

Kinda like the immigration laws, useless unless enforced. Makes the conservatives happy because they are on the books, but allows the liberals to flaunt them knowing they will never be enforced.

That ought to heat up this thread.

In this area, they regularly set up traps for the car pool lane. A CHP bike will hide behind a bridge column and launch when he finds a victim. One day I was ripping down I80 at about 75-80 (not in the carpool lane) when I spied a bike cop at the last second. It was too late to slow down, and he launched as I went by, but he ignored me and took down a guy driving single in the car pool lane. I guess the other guy was a better ROI.

Now, I'm a card-carrying liberal, but I think carpool lanes are stupid. It's a feel-good attempt to engineer a behavior, but it's doomed from the get-go.

For example, if everyone - hell, let's say 10%, decided "hell yeah, I'm going to car-pool so I can drive in the less-populated lane" the lane would be just as clogged as the other lanes, thus negating any benefit.

Then there's magic exemption stickers you can get for hybrid cars, so you can drive single-passenger in an overpriced car in the carpool lane (note: the state issued the last of said exemption stickers for the year about a month ago).

Then there's the retarded policy that child passengers allow you into the carpool lane - if you're going to insist on carpool lanes, make the rule 2 (3 in SoCal) or more licensed drivers.

Between Sacramento and Roseville, they paved the median on 80 and put in a carpool lane, which would been a great spot to put a light rail line and connect to the existing line at Watt/80.

Light Rail does not go anywhere you want to. It needed to go to Sac State, and the airport, and to Roseville, but it goes to none of those places. Was a good place to drag race at the station on I80 near Watt while they were building it though.

I like the tunnel they are planning for Watt Ave to go under the tracks at Folsom Blvd, that will be cheap :rolleyes:

Good question: what's the difference between a set of double yellow lines for the carpool lane, and a double double set of yellow lines?

Well, on a regular street, there is a difference. For a set of double yellow lines, you aren't allowed to pass (go around into oncoming traffic)a slower vehicle in front of you. With a set of double double yellow lines, not only are you not allowed to do that, but you can't even make a left turn into a driveway. With a single set of double yellow lines, you can't pass (by going into oncoming traffic), but at least you can make a left turn into a driveway.

So, extrapolating that to the diamond lane, I suppose that if you've got a single set of double yellow lines, you can't go around a slower car in front, but perhaps you're technically allowed to scoot into "regular" traffic to make an exit ramp? (But what about those designated white lined areas for entering/exiting the carpool lane?) But if there are a set of double double yellow lines, you can't do either maneuver?

Noah..The whole thing is a catch 22....Maybe we can get someone on this thread who can explain this...maybe a CHP officer? To me it cant make sense...Thats why I created the thread...Thanks

Any CHP officers out there?

It's $371 for crossing the solid line, not $271.

The recent carpool lane addition to the CA-22 in Orange County uses a "continuous open access" carpool lane and it's been so well-received there are plans to convert ALL carpool lanes in O.C. to that type. Needs to go through a whole lot of bureaucratic B.S. though - probably take about 6 months to a year before you see any work being done on it.

Personally I think crossing the double-yellow (or single yellow) ought to be an arrestable offense. I can't count the number of times I've been on my motorcycle crusing along the carpool lane at 50-60 and some assclown decides he's had enough of sitting in the traffic in the normal lanes and just whips it into the carpool lane without looking. I've damn near been wiped out a couple of times that way. In all the cases, the vehicles involved were single-occupant vehicles that I could tell.

Idiots like that kill people.

+1 Jeff

Jeff,

I drive the 22 every morning...I have experienced those bone heads pulling out in front of you in the car pool lane...dangerous and scary..

I work in Long Beach at Boeing...

Bob