The first Norwegian carpool lane opened in Trondheim in May 2001. The right hand lane of a four-lane arterial was converted into a lane for buses, taxis and carpools with two or more occupants. It operates all day. Before the car pool lane was opened, unstable conditions existed for all traffic, making public transport unpredictable. The objectives of the carpool lane were to increase travel speed in both lanes and to reduce vehicle numbers and travel time. The effects of the project will be studied by SINTEF. Initial results indicate that travel times for carpool users are short and stable over the day. In an attitude survey, 64% of respondents were positive about the lane. The violation rate is 3-4%. The required occupancy of vehicles in the carpool lane will be increased from two to three in November 2001.
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