The 520 HOV lane ends at the worst possible spot on the whole corridor

Hi guys, can we talk about the 520 HOV lane that ends right at the mouth of the Montlake tunnel?

First — who the fuck decided that was the spot? The lane ends right where the concrete barrier comes in, so at the exact moment everyone is merging there’s nowhere to go. There’s a shoulder inside the tunnel. Just not at the merge. On top of that the lighting changes right there too, too many distractions all at once.

Second — I’ve had a bunch of close calls with people flying down the HOV lane and then not really merging, just kind of plowing over into my lane. Either they think they’ve got the right of way or they’re not looking. Your lane is ending, guys. There’s a sign half a mile back that says MERGE RIGHT. That one’s for you.

Also, most of the cars in that lane aren’t even 3+. I drive this five days a week and I look.

So, please, when your lane ends, try to merge safely. The law says you can’t change lanes until you’ve made sure it’s safe. If I’m standing on the brakes, you didn’t.