Toll roads in L.A.?

Can it really be happening? Toll roads in L.A.? Here's the latest from The Times' Steve Hymon:

If they can win a huge federal grant, Los Angeles County transportation officials said Tuesday that rush-hour toll lanes could become a reality on three local freeways by spring 2009. The prediction underscored what has been a radical turn-around for leaders who only eight months ago were reluctant to do anything more than study "congestion pricing" as a way to discourage drivers when freeways are clogged. That hesitation caused Los Angeles to miss out last year on a share of more than $1 billion in federal assistance. But another round of federal money will be in play over the next two months, and officials hope their change of heart will help them snag the $648 million needed to set up the toll lanes and make other transportation fixes. During a briefing for reporters, officials with Metro and the state agency Caltrans acknowledged that toll lanes remain controversial in Los Angeles, even though they have been used for years on one freeway in Orange County. But the time is right, they said, to try something new in a region with worst-in-the-nation traffic.

Comments

[Miss Macster]

My suggestion on this whole thing is why not give nice tax incentives to companies who have employees telecomute from home, maybe going into the office once a week instead of every day.

I had to move out of LA because of the lack of affordable housing, and had no choice except to do the freeway gig. Now with the computer age, all my work is done via email and phone, the boss let me move the office a mile away from my house, and shortly, will be dumping the office and will be working out of my house. Its an idea that makes good sense.

But at the end of the day, its not about sense, its all about the money honey.,,, .as in federal funds that will be comming the mayor's way, cause they are just as dumb as he is when it comes to dealing with the car congestion issue..

[Ray]

Putting a toll on one lane of a six lane road way is surrender to the obvious truth. There is NO will to solve the congestion situation on LA freeways. It's a timid and poorly conceived incremental revenue boost for MTA capital projects. A toll on a single lane will stem congestion like a band-aid will stop an ax wound from bleeding. Bold moves are needed to save the Southland from its inevitable failure to function. I hate to be doom and gloom people - but come on. Wake up!

Tolls across ALL LANES NOW! Fastrak transponders for everyone. Smart enough to carpool? - Well lucky you. Here's the TWO left lanes to yourself during rush hour - still FREE (for first few years). In fact, when you get where you are going we'll give you a rebate on your newly increased parking taxes. Take all that cash - and there will be A LOT - and start diggin and laying tracks, buying commuter coaches, setting up transit malls and pedestrian zones, constructing smart corridors and any other scheme planners can come up with. We're waiting.

[monica]

if freeways do become into toll roads, it would take some getting se to. are they converting freeways into toll road because we lack money? maybe maybe not. i know that less people will drive on the freeway if it changes, and then the streets will be really bad traffic. what exactly is tghe problem of freeways to turn them into toll roads. i don't like this idead, but it works for others.

[Dan W.]

Congestion charging is a fair way of raising money to pay for transit improvements.

I'd rather see people pay to use a fast lane than to see soccer moms and dads get away with using the carpool lane when only one driver is in the car.

[Eric G]

This is a big scam... it was already reported here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2007/09/how-congested-a.html
that our carpool lanes are already so congested that they don't meet federal standards. So guaranteed if they turn these into toll lanes there will NOT be any free usage for carpools, because (1) the lanes will still not meet federal standards for carpool lanes and will be even more congested and (2) the only way people would pay to use them is if they were free-flowing and that won't happen if they are filled up with carpoolers using the lanes for free.

This is probably CalTrans' solution to their carpool lane problem... remove the carpool lanes and *poof* no need to worry about federal standards. Force all the carpoolers into the regular lanes, causing these to become even more jammed up. Then CalTrans will be able to charge $10 per trip to use the "new" toll lanes. They might as well put up new signs saying "LEFT LANE LUXURY SUVs ONLY" and "PEASANTS KEEP RIGHT". This is NOT the way to promote ridesharing or green transportation.

[Mike Oxbent]

Is anyone else disgusted with the MTA's plan to take carpoolers out of the HOV lanes and replace them with wealthy single occupant drivers? I haven't heard any opposition yet, perhaps we should start the grassroots movement here. If you don't think we can do it, think of how hard it would be to get a signature on a petition? "Hi, did you know the MTA wants to take away your carpool lanes and replace them with toll lanes? Would you like to sign a petition to keep the HOV lanes for us, the carpoolers and not the rich of Los angeles that have already taken enouigh away from us?" Not hard at al;l.
Also, 6 of the MTA board members are ELECTED OFFICIALS (Mayor of L.a. and the 5 county supervisors.) How does this sound: "Thanks for signing my carpool petition, now would you like to sign a petition recalling the politician that wants to take away your carpool lanes?"
Maybe this is what it will take to get these politicians to start listening to us and not the special interests that they take money from. This transfer of money from the middle class to the wealthy has got to stop and it is up to YOU!!!

[Shaun]

This doesn't do a damn thing to solve congestion. They aren't adding capacity but just trying to force people to drive at different times, which many can't obviously b/c of work schedules. It's the same stupid, bakcwards concept of our I-15 "managed lanes" BS in San Diego. How about providing REAL ALTERNATIVES to the private automobile? You know, something like a train system that has worked to move millions of people around in the world's largest cities for overa century now!!

Unless that toll money goes directly to expanding LA's subway and rail system then it should not be done at all. SOME transportation planners think they can solve congestion by trying to spread traffic out throughout the day but you cannot dicatate when people have to drive. And in case those idiots in LA didn't realize, the freeways are jammed there during the day anways, congestion is not just a rush hour problem in LA it is an all day problem. Obviously there freeway system is beyond capacity and some other mode needs to provide an alternative.

When will our dumb leaders in Southern CA realize that you can't shove 20+ million people into region and expect everyone to be able to drive freely w/o congestion?? You can't build enough freeways here to handle all the cars. BUILD MORE RAIL ALREADY!! Why is that such a difficult concept to grasp?