As Californians do their part to reduce traffic on our free southern CA highways by car pooling the government decides to punish us by converting some of these “free” lanes to toll generating Lexus lanes. The following is from the Daily Breeze. To read the entire article click on the story link at the end of this post.
Some L.A. freeway carpool lanes will soon become toll lanes.
From news services
Posted: 12/11/2008 05:38:37 PM PST
LOS ANGELES – More than 60 miles of Southland carpool lanes on three freeways will be converted into toll lanes under a contract signed today by federal and local officials, according to the U.S Transportation Department.
Under the contract, involving Caltrans and the MTA, the federal Transportation Department will provide $210 million to pay for new toll collection equipment, said federal Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.
When the project is complete, motorists will have to pay a toll to use what are now High Occupancy Vehicle, or carpool lanes, on 28 miles of the San Bernardino (10) Freeway from Union Station east to the San Gabriel (605) Freeway; and 33 miles of the Harbor (110) Freeway carpool lanes from Adams Boulevard to 182nd Street.
A second phase will convert carpool lanes between Pasadena and Irwindale on the Foothill (210) Freeway into what are being called HOT, or high occupancy toll lanes.
“Los Angeles’ willingness to try something new will mean less traffic, better transit and a cleaner environment,” Peters said in Washington.
The Bush administration has long sought to tie federal transportation aid to local agencies implementing congestion pricing, where tolls are imposed on motorists willing to pay more to bypass slower traffic. Critics call such efforts “Lexus lanes.”
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11198685
Gilbert note. I think Santa Ana Mayor Pulido can learn something from this experiment. He can install collection booths at every entrance into Santa Ana from Interstate 5. Anyone wishing to go to the Hall of Administration or the Court House would have to pay an entrance fee to offset the cost of fixing the numerous pot holes in the city. After all we do not live in Santa Ana but we do add to the infrastructure maintenance and traffic tie ups without being taxed. That’s simply not fair.
Any way they can get a fair share of taxes out of you millionaires is fine with me. The day you start paying your own way and stop living off the backs and sweat of the rest of us will be a really good day. That frigging Yacht Tax Loophole still has me steamed. Charge them $1000 a trip, those Dubai lovin’, latte sippin’, gas price raisin’ jaggoffs can afford it.
email response
Larry:
This is just another scam to raise funds by the politicians that can not manage a budget.
Proceed with caution. This smells like taxes. Once you start you cannot stop them from growing.
It brings back memories of Measure M the telmporary tax. In this example if we start paying tolls on “small sections” of the existing FREEWAYS who knows how soon the entire system will be converted to toll roads?
anonymous.
Sorry to tell you, but the millionaires you refer to will not be concerned about paying to drive on toll roads. However the average family or individuals currently riding in the HOV lanes will incur some unspecified tolls that,like the 91 Tool Road, will continue to increase every year.
You apparently are a very angry person. Lighten up. You live in a safe country where you do not have to duck and cover.
email response
A. Southern CA highways are not “free” we taxpayers have to pay for them. Why is paying a toll worse than paying gas tax? Since the gas tax is not remotely close to enough to pay to maintain the roads, we are not even paying for them with that, but with other taxes.
B. HOT lanes are an OPTION. Carpools still use them for free. NOTHING changes for anyone using the roads except those single occupant vehicle drivers who CHOOSE to pay a toll and use the uncongested HOT lanes.
So how is using the road capacty more effectively and giving a new choice to people while taking NOTHING away from everyone else a bad thing?
You should know a bit more about something before you blog it.”
To the author or the above comment.
Paying a toll whe we currently drive for free is simply a money maker that can open pandora’s box. Before too long every freeway will start charging tolls.
Let share some data from Tom McClintock when opposing the car tax.
“We pay state and federal excise taxes on gasoline, sales tax on gasoline, sales tax on vehicle purchases, sales tax on the excise taxes, surcharges for call boxes, air quality management, abondoned vehicles, tire disposal and fluid disposal. We also pay fees for driver’s licenses and registration transfers. We pay higher prices for oxygenerated gasoline and smog devices….”
I would argue we pay enough to own and operate our vehicles without converting HOV lanes that often fail to meet the federal criteria for minimum speed to now simply turn them into money makers for the local communities.
The first comment (12/14/08 at 6:23 AM) has it backwards. A toll charge, is regressive and will hurt the working poor, not “millionaires.”
Its amazing the government is willing to spend $210M for 60 miles of for toll and HOV toll lanes? We have been doing this since the 1970s and it hasn’t been effective incentive to cause a meaningful impact on driving habits.
Perhaps we need to try something new which isn’t quite so expensive.
We recently gave a talk on carticipation at the Silicon Valley iPhone Developers’ Meetup in Palo Alto and posted the video here (select “high quality” mode):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaphdB6Wafs