Lexus Lanes coming to California's Bay Area
Officials are hard at work trying to alleviate the notorious traffic congestion in California. Across the state, drivers sit still in traffic while carpool lanes sit empty, underused by public transit and vehicles carrying multiple passengers. The solution for the Bay Area, as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission sees it, is to allow solo motorists to pay for using the carpool lanes.
The commission is working up a proposal that would start with a pilot project in 2010 or early 2011 on I-680 S over the Sunol Grade and in both directions on I-580 between Livermore and the I-680 interchange. To implement the project over the entire 12-highway system would require the approval of state lawmakers (who are currently considering such a bill for Sacramento), as well as an investment of an estimated $3.7 billion. That would be recuperated and then some in the long run, generating an estimated $6 billion over the course of 25 years, the balance of which would be reinvested into the transportation network. If implemented, drivers running late and motivated to pay the fee would be able to move into the carpool lane at designated spots and pay with in-car transponders. Although the fees have yet to be determined, they are estimated at between 20-60 cents per mile at the outset of the program, eventually ramping up to as much as $1 per mile by 2030. Similar systems in place in southern California got the nickname "Lexus Lanes" because of the perception that the rich would use them all the time, leaving those with less means stranded in traffic. However officials cite studies that indicate that the system would be used by a wide cross-section of the socio-economic populace.
[Source: SF Chronicle via All Cars, All the Time, Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
stm 7:27PM (7/28/2008)
You watch the carpool lanes will be sooo congested now lol
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jeff 7:46PM (7/28/2008)
They just need to keep raising the prices until they have the optimal amount of cars in the car pool lanes. It should be variable pricing based on the amount of traffic currently using the car pool lanes. Simple supply and demand.
geo.stewart 9:02PM (7/28/2008)
how will the police know who has paid and who hasnt?
At that point, it will be another lane. charge a flat fee per year to get a special tag...
Randy 10:23AM (7/29/2008)
Congested indeed! I find it difficult to stomach paying to drive on a road that I and you have already paid for (taxes). On top of that, pay for it to be segmented with more or our taxes. Only to then pay more taxes for upkeep when something needs a fix and then find that the money collected for access that was to be used to pay for the project and upkeep has been spent on funding the health benefits of illegal immigrants.
Yeah, that's fair! (sarcasm)
Randy 10:36AM (7/29/2008)
Oh and since there is the nick name "Lexus Lanes" to infer that the rich will use them because of their cost and of course, it's an import (foreign company) Let's start naming our High School and Bridges after foreign political leaders.
So where did you go to school Tommy?
I went to Joseph Stalin High School and for college I'm going to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad University.
How are you getting to college every day?
I'm going to drive my import down the Lexus Lane and spend a dollar a mile.
Then since Tommy doesn't have a job when he gets out out of MAU he can sell ads on strips of highways on a commission basis so we can read signs like.
"This mile is sponsored by "Enemy Country Business That's Subsidized by Ignorant Americans" or Wal-Mart. Either one!
Sorry! Just the proud American in me poking it's head out. Yeah I know, I sound radical! Add it up though!
jgp 8:40PM (7/29/2008)
Randy,
You are a racist pig and a disgusting excuse for a human being.
Randy 12:42AM (7/30/2008)
It was satire! But I do believe I was NOT racist because I'm not. I covered everything from illegal immigrants, ignorant American's, historic enemies and current war threats! That's pretty much everyone! How's that racist?
What I AM is a someone that believes that to protect our fine country, we need to put our own people to work (whatever race our people are), pave our roads for use by all people, not just the rich and stop spending money paying for the welfare of people that do not have a right (I said right) to call themselves US Citizens, or vote! Once we take care of everyone here, we can then broaden our scope of assistance to other nations.
And I reiterate, I am not racist, nor condone such a thing! EVER I'm merely making a satirical outline of the future of our roadways!
With all due respect.. You're "racist" comment is unfounded and not true.
Seoultrain 7:29PM (7/28/2008)
Jeez. You gotta be making bank to pay $60/hour just to drive to work. Might as well call a cab and ride in the carpool lane anyway, then work on the way and bill those hours.
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jeff 7:51PM (7/28/2008)
In Chicago, we have these novel things called Trains that allow people to live far away and work while commuting.
PiCASSO 10:41PM (7/28/2008)
Yeah... you mean "Metra"? I've moved to Chicago last October from Toronto and I'm pissed off that I spend about 10-15 minutes each day as I drive across east to west through a few "Metra" train lines. No city planner decided that bridges would work, so traffic is backed up for a few miles every 20-minutes as trains travel north and south, in and out of cites. So much pollution... wasted as we idle our cars and trains pull in and pull out.
Ken 7:32PM (7/28/2008)
I'd love this if I were rich!
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Mark Ryan 8:53PM (7/28/2008)
Even poor people can car pool.
David 7:48PM (7/28/2008)
And I was having so much fun riding my motorcycle in empty carpool lanes during rush hour. :(
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Scott Eaton 8:04PM (7/28/2008)
It's alright David, there are still 2-4 lanes in between those car lanes. :-)
Kyle 7:50PM (7/28/2008)
Well i think this is an issue between classes(high vs. mid. vs. low). Shouldn't we all just share the road?
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Blake 8:44PM (7/28/2008)
"Can't we all just get along?"
Cary 12:19AM (7/29/2008)
No, we can't. I am all for the Mercedes Mile.
Polly Prissy Pants 8:59AM (7/29/2008)
Hey, the rich are rich because they earned it, so if honest hard working folk like Paris Hilton can afford to pay extra to get to her favorite club on time while some single mom
living on a teachers salary has to wait in traffic then maybe that teacher should have thought about it before taking that job.
Personally I don't see why we don't apply this theory to everything. The sooner we get all these people that decided to be poor off the roads and back to the ghettos and farms where they belong the better.
Randy 4:36PM (7/29/2008)
Because they are public roads! It enables the rich to get rich faster and more of the poor to continue waiting in bread lines.
It's economic segregation! On top of it forcing congestion further on folks that can't pay for it thus squeezing the middle earner further!
Tom 8:32AM (7/30/2008)
It's economic efficiency-- it'll be worth more to some people per hour to pay & go faster than to get up earlier & wait. Besides, the most likely "rich" users of the lane are working professionals (medical, business, law, entertainment) for whom a ten hour day is leaving early, and the cost is worth it. Oh, and we've had lanes like that here in Minneapolis for a while (I-394 west of downtown, most notably), and yes, the prices fluctuate all day according to the traffic level, and no, you don't only see luxury cars using the lanes. You see whoever is willing to pay a price for convenience-- a hallmark of the free market. (Is that "American" enough for you, Randy?)