Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed legislation that will allow the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to designate high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
House Bill 4352 amended the Michigan Vehicle Code to exempt motorcycles and other vehicles from HOV lane restrictions. MDOT will determine who receives exemptions.
House Bill 4353 allows MDOT to designate HOV lanes on newly constructed highway lanes built using federal funding.
“These bills represent a major step forward for mobility in Michigan and efforts to decrease emissions by encouraging people to share rides,” MDOT Director Bradley Wieferich said. “I want to thank the bill sponsors for their diligence and Gov. Whitmer for recognizing what this will mean to commuters and other travelers on one of the state’s busiest corridors.”
“With these bills, our state not only furthers its efforts toward more efficient mobility and lower carbon emissions, but it also fully leverages federal infrastructure funding for Michigan,” state Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights), of the House Transportation, Mobility and Infrastructure Committee chairman and sponsor of House Bill 4352, said. “I am proud of Michigan’s infrastructure progress as we adapt to a greener future, while continuing to repair and rebuild roads and bridges at historic rates.”
The five-year Rebuilding Michigan plan has invested $3.5 billion in highways and bridges.