What Does Pov Mean on the Expressway Lane?
by Jesse S. SmithAs you drive down the interstate expressway, you may see a sign above a lane that refers to a POV. POV is simply an abbreviation for Privately Owned Vehicle.
The Problem: Rush Hour
Most city dwellers are familiar with the high volume of traffic that clogs highways and thoroughfares during rush hour. The problem has existed for years and shows no sign of disappearing.
The Solution: HOV Lanes
To help deal with heavy traffic, the Federal Highway Administration has designated high-occupancy express lanes in cities across the country. By restricting use of these lanes to cars with multiple passengers, highway officials hope to encourage carpooling and mitigate traffic congestion problems. These lanes are known as HOV or High Occupancy Vehicle lanes; or often simply as "the carpool lane."
Your POV in the HOV
An express lane sign specifying that access is granted to POV--Privately Owned Vehicles--is making a distinction between private cars with multiple passengers and public transit vehicles such as buses.
Public Transit
Restricted Access
Some municipalities may give private vehicles access to HOV lanes only at specified times and restrict the lanes to buses at other times.
References
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Photo Credits
- Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Nam Nguyen