The final verdict on the newly extended freeway "Zipper Lane" won't be due until the novelty wears off and commuters decide whether or not they want to adopt it for the long term.

On balance, though, it looks like a good investment of state money because the extension has made this rush-hour pressure valve a more attractive option.

Since the opening of the Zipper connection with the Nimitz Highway high-occupancy vehicle lane, the initial feedback has been positive, though not ecstatic. Some drivers complain about the decision by the state Department of Transportation to open the H-1 contraflow lane to two-occupant cars throughout the morning rush. Before the start of the "back-to-school jam" last week, cars using the lane before 7 a.m. had to be carrying three passengers.

True, lowering the bar added enough traffic so that longer backlogs form near the entrances and where cars funnel into Nimitz' HOV lane. But the state is experimenting with the rules in an effort to win more converts, and this seems necessary. Judging by the Zipper Lane's lackluster reception to date, commuters must find it tough to assemble carpooling trios.

Fortunately, highway officials are being smart about the test, tracking vehicle tallies over the next few weeks to see how things settle out.

Some people are already talking about changing their commuting habits, ride-sharing and departing early enough to avoid the peak crowds but still catch the Zipper Lane before it zips shut at 8:30 a.m. That's the kind of strategic commuter response that carpooling initiatives are designed to encourage.

The state is trying to work out the kinks in another second-tier upgrade: the launching of a "freeway service patrol" to assist drivers with car troubles that impede rush-hour traffic. Officials should arrange it so that the patrol complements the city's own rush-hour towing service, but doesn't duplicate it.

The hopeful, preliminary results from relatively modest transit improvements like this underscore the wisdom of composite traffic solutions. No single option suits everyone. While most of the excitement swirls around the debate over big-ticket solutions such as rail or dedicated toll lanes, the pursuit of assorted smaller projects must not be abandoned.