Reversible Lane Sign: Meaning and What to Do
The white rectangle headed CENTER LANE, reading DO NOT USE during posted weekday hours, is a reversible lane control sign. The lane it governs carries traffic one way in the morning rush and the other way in the evening, so during the posted hours it belongs to the opposite direction and you must stay out of it.
Reversible Lane Sign
Reversible lanes are usually marked with a double broken yellow line on each side, which is the marking pattern state manuals teach with this sign. On busier roads, overhead lane-use signals with a green arrow or red X show the lane's current direction in real time.
What to do when you see the reversible lane sign
Read the hours and the days. During them, treat the center lane as oncoming traffic and do not enter it. Outside them, the lane may be open to you, but check for overhead signals or pavement arrows before using it. If a red X or a yellow X is lit over a lane, get out of it.
The signs it is confused with
Tests pair it with the Two-Way Left Turn Only sign, which also governs a center lane but for turning from both directions at all times, and with lane-use control signals. Posted hours on a center-lane sign are the clue that the lane reverses.
Signs are one topic of ten on every test
Every state practice test covers signs, signals, and markings among its ten topics, with every answer explained. Pick your state and see how its exam asks about signs like this one; it is free, with no sign-up.
Choose your stateQuestions about the reversible lane sign
What does a reversible lane sign mean?
The center lane changes direction by time of day. During the posted hours it serves the opposite direction, so you must not use it.
How is a reversible lane marked on the pavement?
By a double broken yellow line on each side of the lane. A two-way left turn lane uses a solid and a broken yellow line instead.
What do the overhead red X and green arrow mean?
A green arrow means the lane beneath it is open to you. A red X means it is closed to you, often because it is carrying traffic the other way.
Why do cities use reversible lanes?
Rush-hour traffic is heavy inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening. Reversing a lane gives the heavy direction more room without widening the road.
How does this sign appear on the written test?
Often as a marking question about double broken yellow lines, and as a meaning question paired with the two-way left turn sign.