High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes

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HOV Southern Nevada Study

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is conducting a study to understand how High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are being used in Southern Nevada. This survey seeks input from the community on the effectiveness of the HOV lanes, which aim to provide faster, more reliable travel options for carpoolers and transit users. We want to hear about your experiences since the recent change in HOV lane hours. Your feedback will help shape future improvements. Take our quick, 5-minute survey and share your thoughts on how HOV lanes are impacting your commute!

Click here to take the survey

Southern Nevada System

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) implemented new hours of operation for the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) system on SR-613/Summerlin Pkwy, U.S. 95, and Interstate-15 in southern Nevada in 2023, as directed by the Nevada Transportation Board of Directors. The current HOV hours are 6:00-8:00 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The board directed the change to be completed within 30 days and required NDOT to begin a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study, as required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to potentially eliminate all HOV restrictions in Nevada.

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Studies

A multi-year HOV study was initiated in 2022, utilizing data on traffic volumes, speeds, and HOV violation rates from RTC FAST, NDOT traffic counters, third-party data collection, and sensors at 15 locations monitored by a third party. The study team is regularly reviewing and collecting usage data, as well as crash rates, to determine if an adjustment to the hours is warranted. Once the evaluation is complete, the team will provide final recommendations on permanent hours of operation.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), in coordination with FAST and other partners installed new data sensors along I-15 and U.S. 95 in the summer of 2022. The sensors, which count vehicles and detect the number of occupants, are being used as part of a multi-year study of HOV lanes in southern Nevada. Sensors are not used for traffic enforcement.

NDOT's HOV study began in 2018, but data collection was interrupted by unpredictable driving patterns of the pandemic in early 2020. The study reviews historical HOV and general purpose lane usage and take into account national best practices to determine a potential pilot program to validate pilot hours of operation. NDOT and its partners will monitor pilot hours for effectiveness and potential modifications every three months through 2024. A final concept of operations report will be passed to the Nevada Transportation Board to define hours of operations for HOV lanes.

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes

What Are HOV Lanes and Where Are They Located?

HOV lanes are dedicated highway lanes that are used exclusively by vehicles with two or more occupants as well as motorcycles. There are over 20 miles of continuous HOV lanes in Las Vegas on U.S. 95 from the Elk Horn direct connector ramps to the Spaghetti Bowl where a direct connect ramp connects U.S. 95 to I-15 and continues on I-15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Silverado Ranch Boulevard.

What Are the Benefits of HOV Lanes?

HOV lanes can reduce peak-period travel time compared to general-purpose lanes and can move substantially more commuters than general-purpose lanes. HOV lane users experience less congestion, arriving at their destinations more quickly than those who do not carpool. It also costs less to ride a bus or to share a ride than to drive alone every day. Other benefits include a more reliable commute and less stress. The community also benefits. HOV lanes provide a better use of infrastructure and can serve more people than general-purpose lanes. For more information, visit www.dot.nv.gov/hov.

What you need to know about the new HOV system:

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HOV Plan

The Nevada Department of Transportation has updated the Southern Nevada High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Plan. The purpose was to update the previous plan (completed in 2007) based on the current conditions in Southern Nevada, including recently completed projects and Project NEON, and use the most recent analysis tools. Implementation of HOV lanes, or carpool lanes, is one method of maintaining mobility in congested freeway corridors. The HOV plan update focused on the near-term HOV system in Southern Nevada, including Project NEON's direct connector between I-15 and US 95 and the conversion of past I-15 express lanes to one HOV lane and one additional general purpose lane. In addition, evaluations and recommendations for the long-term HOV system, direct access ramp locations, and operations of the HOV system were included. The HOV system was evaluated utilizing the Southern Nevada RTC's 2035 Regional Travel Demand Model with the Mode Choice Element.

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