Questions and Answers About Your Commute : Motorcycles Permitted in Carpool Lanes

Dear Traffic Talk:

Is it legal for a lone motorcycle driver to be in the carpool lane?

I drive to Palm Springs almost every weekend and always see three or four motorcyclists in the carpool lane and have never seen one ticketed.

Earl S. Engelhard

Burbank

Dear Earl:

It is perfectly legal for a motorcycle rider carrying no passengers to use the carpool lane, said Officer Richard Perez of the California Highway Patrol.

The reason a single motorcyclist is allowed in the diamond lane, Perez said, is that a motorcycle is generally considered a one-person vehicle, even though most--but not all--have room for a passenger.

“Basically, you’re going to just have a single rider anyway,” he said.

Perez also pointed out that on the San Bernardino Freeway, between Temple City Boulevard and downtown, cars must carry three passengers to be allowed in the diamond lane--an impossibility for all but a handful of motorcycles.

Additionally, motorcycles tend to emit fewer pollutants than cars and trucks. And since one of the reasons for the existence of diamond lanes is to reduce pollution by encouraging car-pooling, transportation officials say, motorcyclists are rewarded in the same fashion as car-poolers.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I drive the “T” intersection at Woodman Avenue and Plummer Street everyday. Woodman is a heavily traveled street, and making a right or left turn from Plummer onto Woodman is interesting. Also, turning onto Plummer from Woodman northbound can become a speed contest.

What has to happen before the city installs either a stop sign or signal light at an intersection?

Andrew Blunt

Panorama City

Dear Andrew:

A more orderly intersection is on its way, according to Irwin Chodash, transportation engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

A traffic signal for the intersection was approved in April 1994. It should be installed early next year.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I often get caught behind dump trucks that are spilling some of their load of gravel as they head to construction sites along the San Diego Freeway. The other day, I wound up with a chip in my windshield.

Do police cite the drivers or owners of trucks that are spilling gravel or sand?

Richard Alonzo

San Fernando

Dear Richard:

The legal term is “spilling aggregate material,” and the driver of a truck that is doing as much can be issued a misdemeanor citation, said Officer Rob Lund of the California Highway Patrol.

Motorists whose vehicles suffer damage as a result should try to get the license number of the truck and a description, and file a report with the CHP for insurance purposes, Lund said.

However, the driver can only be cited if an officer witnesses the offense.

“If they have a cellular phone, they can call the highway patrol” from the road, Lund said. “And if they want to follow the person, they can and wait for an officer to arrive.”

Traffic Talk appears Fridays in The Times Valley Edition. Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com