HOV Lanes on the Long Island Expressway

So...
After years of construction, there are now HOV lanes on the
section of the Long Island Expressway that I travel on. They
are in the left-most lane, and if you are not traveling on
them during rush hour, you can be in them even if you are not
a carpool.
Does this mean that if I choose to travel in them, I have to
travel at the super high speed that Long Island speed-demons
would have me go? (You cannot switch in and out of them at
will, like some HOV lanes, you can only enter/exit them at
certain stretches) Therefore I don't think that the HOV lane
can be considered a passing lane. Comments?