North Bay drivers push to roll back expanded Highway 101 carpool lane hours

By Da Lin

Highway 101 is a vital commute for tens of thousands of people traveling between Marin and Sonoma counties. But some drivers said recent changes to the carpool lane hours are making their commutes longer and more frustrating.

Katie Clayton, a hairstylist who drives from her Rohnert Park home to a salon in Novato, said the morning drive has become very stressful.

“It affected my commute by adding at least 30 minutes to my commute every morning,” Clayton said. “It’s frustrating, and people don’t deserve to be sitting in traffic that was never there before. Don’t fix what’s not broken.”

Earlier this month, on Sept. 8, Caltrans extended the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane hours on Highway 101 in the North Bay. The new schedule runs from 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. in Marin and Sonoma counties. Previously, the hours were shorter and differed between the two counties.  In Sonoma County, it was 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., in both directions. In Marin County, the previous hours were 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. southbound only and 4:30 to 7 p.m. northbound only.

Caltrans said the updated hours align the North Bay with the rest of the Bay Area.

“This is a big change, and Caltrans doesn’t take it lightly. We’re doing this to improve safety in the Bay Area,” said Caltrans spokesperson Vince Jacala.

Clayton, however, said the change is forcing more solo drivers into the general lanes, slowing traffic for everyone. She started a petition on Change.org, which had nearly 5,000 signatures by Sunday afternoon, with hundreds of drivers sharing their stories and frustrations.

“Cars sitting on the freeway, trucks sitting on the freeway, just wasting gas, putting more emissions into the atmosphere. That’s the polar opposite of what they’re claiming it’s going to do,” Clayton said.

Jacala said Caltrans consulted with other North Bay transportation agencies before making the switch. The expanded hours also coincide with the opening of new lanes between Novato and Petaluma, part of the Marin-Sonoma Narrows project.

“Caltrans and the different agencies, we’re going to take a look at that. We hear you very loudly. We’re going to take a look at that. And the traffic engineers are going to take a look at the analysis, whatever time it takes.  And then, we’ll decide,” Jacala said.

While Caltrans said any reversal of the new hours would require time and a careful study, Clayton and others said they are not backing down.

“I don’t plan to give up, and I don’t think other people are going to give up. This has added hours to people’s day,” she said.

Some city and county officials also agreed with Clayton, saying the expanded hours don’t reflect changed commute patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic. Caltrans maintains that any adjustments would likely be months away.