Imagine the time saved when the traditional weaving buses from on-ramp to HOV lane to off-ramp is avoided: measurable minutes. Sound Transit has partnered with the State Department of Transportation, and other local municipalities to build direct-access ramps in the middle of freeways so that buses, including ST Express regional buses, can exit directly from the HOV lanes and turn into transit centers. For instance, with the Ash Way/164th Transit Access, and Lynnwood HOV Access ramps combined, commuters are now saving 12 minutes per day on a round trip commute from Everett to Seattle. In Bellevue, the HOV access ramps led the way for a new interchange on I-405 at Northeast Sixth Street for buses and carpools, giving buses direct access to the expanded Bellevue Transit Center. This project improved freeway interchanges at Northeast Fourth, Northeast Eighth, and Southeast Eighth streets including improvements to nearby city street intersections.