Are You Allowed To Drive in Bus Only Lanes in Michigan?

I frequently take Division Street in Grand Rapids to get around my neighborhood and as a shortcut to work, so I'm pretty familiar with those big bold letters painted on the right lane that say "ONLY BUS"

As traffic has gotten heavier on Divison during the construction work happening on 131, I've noticed long lines of cars only using the left lane during all times of the day. And while it's nice to see people being respectful of public transit in Grand Rapids, it turns out: a lot of you are doing it wrong.

Are you allowed to drive in the Bus Only lane in Grand Rapids?

Most the time, yes- you are! If you are thinking to yourself "But, it says buses only!" you're technically right... but, in the case of Divison Street, it only counts during two time windows of the day.

According to the signs that people frequently ignore, the Division Street bus lanes are only active during two time periods during the day. One from 7-9am and the other from 4-6pm on weekdays, both being during peak traffic and drive times. While there may be some bus lanes in the state that are 24/7 bus lanes, they're not in the majority.

Otherwise, you're totally free to use the right lane to get around. Granted, you may run into a few busses here and there dropping people off along the way, you're still not in the wrong for using both lanes during the majority of the day.

Read More: Buckle Up: Click-It or Ticket Returns to Michigan

So if you see me zipping by everyone in the right lane on Division Street, keep your side eye to yourself. It's totally legal to use that bus lane (most) of the day.