Lawmaker Wants To Open Conn. HOV Lanes

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A state senator from north central Connecticut who sits in traffic daily says officials could ease traffic jams by opening High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to single-passenger vehicles during rush hour and accidents.

Republican Sen. John Kissel has proposed a bill that would allow everyone to use the HOV lanes from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

The General Assembly's Transportation Committee is scheduled to meet Monday to hear testimony on that bill and others during a public hearing.

The state's first HOV lane opened in 1989 east of Hartford, along I-84 and I-384. In 1993, lanes opened north of Hartford along I-91.

Kissel says the experiment has not encouraged enough people to carpool and it makes sense to use the lanes to end gridlock.

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