So the government gurus of transportation are converting Interstate 95's underused and unpopular High Occupancy Vehicle, or HOV, lanes into High Occupancy Toll or HOT lanes.

Drivers are plenty HOT.

Massive confusion and serious accidents have met the first phase of the $260 million project, northbound between downtown Miami and the Golden Glades interchange.

Here is a guide to navigating the HOT spots on the 95 Express.

Q. Why is the state doing this?

A.Because it can't widen I-95 without taking a lot of homes or building a wildly expensive elevated tier of new lanes above the current roadway. Because growth outstripped road capacity decades ago. Because the HOV lanes didn't work well. Because the U.S. Department of Transportation is ponying up $63 million in ''seed money'' for new approaches to a nationwide urban congestion problem and to enhance more public transportation options.

Q. So, how will it work?

A. It's an electronic tollway. Solo drivers must have a SunPass to use the express lanes on the left-hand side. It is a straight seven-mile shot, with no exits, from downtown to the Golden Glades. Car poolers and others don't need the SunPass (more on this later.)

Q. What if I want to exit before the Golden Glades interchange?

A.No can do. You must stay to the right in the four ''free'' local lanes.

Q. Aw, c'mon. Really?

A. Really. Dodging between the white candlestick lane markers is incredibly dangerous to all of the vehicles behind you in the express lanes and especially for the drivers you're about to cut off in the ''free'' lanes. Besides the obvious safety issues, drivers could face reckless driving violations starting at $100.

Q. Can't they make another entry/exit point -- say, somewhere between the 95th and 103rd street exits?

A.Good question.

Original plans called for an entry/exit merging point between the 95th and 103rd Street exits in Miami Shores. But all of the computer models and engineering studies found that it would have only made congestion worse. The area was too tight to support all of the weaving, so it was eliminated.

Q.OK. So when do I need to get over to the right to avoid getting stuck in the toll lanes?

A.If you're approaching from the south, stay to the right near the exit for State Road 112, also known as the Airport Expressway, and Interstate 195, a k a the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

If you're coming from the west on State Road 112, watch the signs right after the tollbooth. Local traffic that needs to exit before the Golden Glades must stay to the right. The express lane begins on the old HOV ramp to northbound I-95 on the left.

Q.Can I get in the express lanes from the Julia Tuttle Causeway?

A.No. If you live in Miami Beach and want to use the express lanes to get to the turnpike or the Palmetto Expressway (State Road 826) or points north, you maneuver south from the beach side and enter I-95 North via I-395, a k a the MacArthur Causeway. Translation: The Express won't be worth it to most people whose journey starts north of 23rd Street.

Q.How much are these toll lanes going to cost?

A.Once they're in effect, the tolls will vary.

It's basic supply and demand. The state is trying to guarantee a 50 mph trip in the express lanes. When traffic is light, the toll might be 25 cents to get from downtown to the Golden Glades. When the lanes are full, the price will rise. It could cost $2.50 -- and possibly a lot more -- when traffic in the ''free'' lanes is at a standstill.

Q.How often will the price change? And how will I know when it does?

A.Prices could change every five to six minutes depending on traffic. The price will be posted on electronic signs as you approach the express lanes.

Q.What happens if the price changes after I enter the toll lanes, but before I exit?

A.Your price is locked in as your vehicle passes under the SunPass readers hanging over the lanes. If the toll rises $1 two minutes after you enter the lane, it's not going to affect you.

Q.How will I know I haven't been charged the wrong amount?

A.SunPass customers should frequently check their accounts online to make sure they are being charged appropriately.

Q.When will they start charging tolls?

A.

Later this summer.

Q.That the best you can do?

A.Yes, for now. The DOT isn't committing to a specific start date yet because so much work is being crammed into such a tight schedule. Watch the highway message signs and The Miami Herald for updates.

Q.What happens if I get stuck in the toll lanes and don't have a SunPass?

A.Once tolls are in effect, cameras will snap photos of vehicle license plates that enter the lanes without a SunPass. Violation notices starting at $100 will be mailed to vehicles' registered owners.

If you get in the lane and don't have a SunPass, don't try to exit before the Golden Glades.

When you get home, call SunPass toll free at 888-865-5352, explain what happened and offer to pay the toll. They'll probably let you slide for a one-time violation and urge you to buy a SunPass.

Don't try it twice.

Q.How do I get a SunPass?

A.The new $5 mini SunPass just went on sale at local Publix supermarkets and CVS, Navarro and Sedano's stores.

You can still buy the old, chunky white plastic transponders -- which cost $25, plus another $25 to open a prepaid toll account -- from the state. Both will work on I-95, the Miami-Dade expressways and the turnpike. For more information check out www.sunpass.com or call 888-865-5352.

Q.Is there any way to use the toll lanes for free?

A.Yes. Take a bus. Or participate in a registered car pool that has at least three people. Or ride a motorcycle. Or buy a hybrid and register it with the state. Or get a job as a firefighter, paramedic or police officer. (Emergency vehicles can use the toll lanes without paying as well.)

Q.If I own a hybrid, what must I do to get toll-free access?

A.First, register the hybrid with the state of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Download the application at www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/HOV.html for a special decal. Fee: $5 a year.

Then, visit the South Florida Commuter Services website at www.1800234ride.com or call 800-234-RIDE for an application to register for the express lanes exemption.

Q.What must I do to register my car pool for free access?

A.Visit the South Florida Commuter Services website at www.1800234ride.com or call 800-234-RIDE to register. Provide name, home and work addresses and phone numbers, work schedule, driver's license number and license plate number. All car pool participants must sign the form. Riders only need to provide home and work information.

You'll have to renew the special ''3+'' decal every six months, or your car pool will be considered inactive and your license plate removed from the eligible list.

Q.What if I have a SunPass but am registered to use the express lanes for free?

A. If you have an old SunPass, remove the transponder from the windshield and place it in the silver shield bag. If you have a new "mini'' tag you will need to get a disabler shield. They will be available from the commuter services people when you register for the carpool or hybrid exemption.

Q.What are the orange cones on the other side of the northbound lanes for?

A.You'll see orange cones as long as the construction work continues. Crews are working on wireless technology for the toll collection machinery, hanging more signs and restriping the new right-hand lanes and shoulder in that area.

Q.Why are the express lanes only on northbound I-95 in Miami-Dade? Traffic's awful on the southbound side, especially in the morning rush hour.

A.This is just the first phase. Crews will start converting the southbound side later this year. It will require a lot more construction work and extensive road closings and delays next spring to raise two bridges at the State Road 112/I-195 interchange.

The last phase, in both directions between the Golden Glades and I-595 in Broward County, won't be finished until late 2010 or 2011, depending on funding.

Q.What about those traffic signals that have been sitting at the end of the on-ramps, unused since 2004?

A.A. They are going to start working northbound when the tolls start, but only on the ramps between Northwest 62nd Street and the Golden Glades, and will surely prove to be as wildly unpopular as the express lanes are now.

The idea is to create a steady flow of vehicles entering I-95 that will improve not only the merging onto but the exiting from the interstate. The signal will pretty much remain green when the interstate is flowing freely and pulse red every few seconds when it's heavier. The DOT insists that traffic will not be backing up on the ramps and into the arterial feeder roads.

Q.That's crazy. Don't they realize too many South Florida drivers treat red lights as optional nuisances?

A.A lot of people think the ramp meters won't work -- largely because there won't be enough police officers and traffic court judges to enforce all the tickets. After an initial shakeout period, ramp metering programs have proven effective in a lot of North American cities with even worse traffic congestion than South Florida.

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