A.(1)  The transit lanes on the Greater New Orleans Mississippi River Bridges No. 1 and No. 2 shall be opened to vehicular traffic classified as “high occupancy vehicle two” or “HOV 2”.  These transit lanes shall be designated as one-way roadways, with the traffic proceeding to the downtown area in the morning and traffic proceeding to the Westbank in the afternoon in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Crescent City Connection and Department of Transportation and Development.

(2)  The Department of Transportation and Development and the Crescent City Connection may charge as tolls a use permit fee which shall be priced lower than the established tolls to encourage carpooling.  The Department of Transportation and Development and the Crescent City Connection may promulgate rules and regulations concerning the implementation and costs of said permits.

B.  However, the provisions of this Section shall be implemented in accordance with the rules and regulations of appropriate federal agencies.

Acts 1997, No. 748, §1.