High-Occupancy Vehicle
Field(s):
Transportation Planning
Region of Focus:
North America, General
High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are dedicated traffic lanes reserved for vehicles carrying a minimum number of passengers (typically 2-3+), as a strategy to reduce congestion and promote ridesharing. These lanes incentivize carpooling by offering time savings through bypassing general traffic, while simultaneously improving overall roadway efficiency by moving more people in fewer vehicles.
HOV lanes are most effective when:
Integrated with robust transit networks (e.g., allowing buses)
Paired with park-and-ride facilities
Enforced through monitoring technologies
Designed with continuous access (avoiding "skip zones")
Last update:
April 16, 2025
Developed by:
The Urban Lexis Editorial Team
Contributor(s):
With support from:
ChatGPT (by OpenAI) and DeepSeek
We acknowledge the assistance of AI tools in helping draft content. Final edits, fact-checking, and curatorial decisions were made by the Urban Lexis Editorial Team to ensure quality and relevance for our planning community.