Q: I attended a National Safety Council course to get my motorcycle license, and they provided me with a slip of paper that I should use if ever stopped by an officer in the high occupancy vehicle lanes. I’ve lost that slip of paper and have been unable to find the law or provision which allows motorcycles to use the HOV lanes without a passenger.

– Ron Rosen, Fort Lauderdale

A: Federal law allows motorcycles to use the HOV lanes at any time unless the state decides otherwise, and Florida has not.

Florida law on HOV lanes doesn’t specifically mention motorcycles, but it does define HOV lanes as a “lane of a public roadway designated for use by vehicles in which there is more than one occupant unless otherwise authorized by federal law.”

The explanation for the federal law is that allowing motorcycles to use HOV lanes keeps them moving, and it is considered safer to keep two-wheel vehicles moving than it is to have them traveling in start-and-stop traffic conditions.

Q: When will Florida’s Turnpike be expanded between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Lake Worth Road? Is this project being postponed like others along the turnpike due to turnpike toll revenues falling? – Arthur Esbin, Boynton Beach

A: The project has been dropped from the turnpike’s five-year work program.

Construction had been slated to start in the spring, but it’s now scheduled to begin in 2016.

The turnpike also dropped plans to add lanes between Lake Worth Road and Okeechobee Boulevard and from Okeechobee to PGA Boulevard.

The only four projects left on the construction schedule for the next five years in Palm Beach County are: rebuilding the Lake Worth Road interchange, remodeling the West Palm Beach service plaza, replacing the 45th Street bridge and replacing a ramp at the Jupiter interchange.

Q: Are there any special arrangements or fees for disabled-parking permits? – Paul Lowtan, Davie

A: Drivers must fill out a state application form, then have their doctor sign it and verify they have a disability.

The fee is $15 for a license plate sticker or tag for the rear-view mirror.

The form is available online at You also can call your local county tax collector’s office or the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety at 850-617-2000.

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