By: Cynthia Kurtz
Posted 2/20/2013
If you must
drive the I-10 freeway -- and I do mean “must” because no sane person would
choose to take this freeway if he or she had an alternative -- you know what a
nightmare it can be. Planning to be somewhere on time is pretty much a
crap-shoot. The same trip can take 25 minutes or 125 minutes depending on
weather, construction, traffic and accidents. One never knows. So I support
Metro’s decision to open a HOT lane stretching from the 605 to the 710 that
will provide an option for solo drivers.
HOT lane stands
for “High Occupancy Toll” lane. It is a system of variable pricing, based on
the amount of congestion on the road, to control the number of cars using the
lane. The higher the demand the higher the toll - like theatre tickets that are
more expensive on Saturday night due to the higher demand for seats.
HOT lanes
aren’t a new idea. There are used in Houston, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City,
Denver and San
Diego. Beginning February 23, we get to test them in
the San
Gabriel Valley.
To use the HOT
lane you need to have a transponder or a FasTrak. It is a small device that
attaches to your windshield and permits the overhead monitors to record how
many miles you travel in the lane then deducts the toll from your prepaid
account. No stopping for toll booths. The toll will vary between $.25 and $1.40
per mile for solo drivers. Carpools won’t be required to pay a toll but they
still need to have a FasTrak.
The toll at any
time will be posted so you will know the cost before you decide whether to use
the lane. Once you are in the lane, your
cost per mile will stay the same even if the toll changes. If the average speed
in the HOT lane goes below 45 miles an hour, the sign will change to “HOV only”
telling solo drivers they may no longer enter the lane.
Not everyone is
a supporter. Some drivers believe freeways must be “free.” Actually the
name “freeway” means a controlled access road with no traffic signals,
intersections or driveways so it is free flow. It doesn’t mean no cost.
Others believe
the gas tax not tolls should pay for roads. The reality is that the gas tax
covers a small percentage of the cost of our highway system today. As our cars
get better mileage and we move to more electric vehicles, the gas tax will play
an even smaller role in funding the road system.
Opponents also
say that this is only an option for the rich. However, based on the experience
in other places, people in all income groups use HOT lanes.
A HOT lane
isn’t going to solve all the problems on the I-10. The freeway needs new
interchanges, resurfacing, and many other improvements. But the HOT lanes will
help. Revenues from tolls will be dedicated to improvements on the I-10.
Southern California has a big congestion problem and
frankly we don’t have a lot of options. We aren’t going to be adding many new
roads, it is too expensive. Buses are a great alternative but they don’t work
for every trip. I am a big supporter of light rail but it takes a long time to
build. Funding for the first phase of the Gold Line was approved by the voters
in 1980. Thirty-two years later and we are almost to Azusa.
So we must also look to technology and pricing to make our current
system work better. Visit www.metroexpresslanes.net to open your FasTrak account today. I’ll
be looking for you in the fast lane.
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