Solo drivers in the North Bay have won.
Following a torrent of complaints, Caltrans has reduced the hours for a 52-mile carpool lane on Highway 101 through Marin and Sonoma counties. As of Monday, new signs along the freeway show the lane will be reserved for high-occupancy vehicles heading south between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and for those heading north from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
That’s a two hour reduction for the morning rush hour, given that Caltrans had set the carpool period from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. when officials opened the lanes in October. During the evenings, agency staff shrank the carpool schedule by half an hour. It had previously ended at 7 p.m…