The Chicago Tribune reports that a proposal to designate “green lane” is back as Pace and the Illinois Tollway begin to push a plan to designate the express bus and carpool lanes on the Tri-State Tollway.
“The agencies are seeking $200 million in federal stimulus funding to get express buses running between job-scarce areas in the south suburbs and employment opportunities in the west and northwest,” Richard Wronski writes. “If funding is approved, the so-called high-occupancy-toll or HOT lanes could be opened on the Tri-State by early 2012.”
The proposal would reserve an inner lane in each direction for buses and carpools. Single-occupant motorists would be allowed to use the HOT lanes but would pay a premium toll, depending on the level of congestion.
The lanes would start at the southern end of the Tri-State Tollway at the Chicago Southland Oasis in South Holland and extend 35 miles north to Rosemont and O’Hare.
Seems like just about enough distance to move Olympic athletes.