According to Braulio Fernández, director of Special Projects for the State Transportation Department (SVT), 70 percent of cars in the metro area carry just one person. They estimate there are around 11 million commutes per day, with 33 percent for work and another 22 percent to school.
The SVT has already begun analyzing around 50 proposals for the carpool idea, in hopes that they can select one for implementation around May or June.
Although carpool lane programs have operated in U.S. and Canadian cities for several decades, Guadalajara may have to use a unique design of its own.Most U.S. and Canadian cities have expressway systems that slice though their urban clutter. Within the city, Guadalajara’s major avenues more resemble spindly veins with lanes that end and reopen for drivers switching between the lateral or central lanes.
Some cities require at least two passengers before a vehicle can use the carpool lane, while others specify more than two. Some cities use a separate lane with a special diamond marking, while others cordon off an entire part of the highway. In others, this lane is reversible, flowing into the city during the morning rush hour and back out in the afternoon.
Adapting new lanes on any of the proposed avenues in Guadalajara will be expensive, as many have bridges and tunnels.
In order to make full use of the program, the SVT plans to develop a computer model that will hook commuters up with others who have similar daily routes.