(3/5/13)
– IE Transit Talking Points Short
USA
Today interviewed Jim Bak of INRIX, a traffic congestion tracking
firm based in Washington. Bak stated, “Drivers (in the Inland
Empire) have a lot of incentive to carpool.” He is correct, to an
extent. With the 91 Freeway ranked the 10th worst freeway in the
country, demands to rideshare and use high occupancy lanes to bypass
traffic congestion is high. 16% of all commuter traffic in San
Bernardino County alone are HOV’s according to the US Census
Bureau.
So
with an overwhelmingly high HOV market demand in the area shown by congested freeway carpool lanes and filled park & ride lots, the focus may be incentives to convert 2-person HOV's into 3+ HOV's. Why then are 3+ HOV’s
mandated to use a FasTrak transponder to use the 91 Express Lanes
into Orange County and pay tolls during the PM rush hour in the peak
direction? Why are these lanes carrying more toll-paying non-HOV’s
than 3+ HOV’s? It’s clear that there are legit 3+ HOV’s being
displaced from Orange County’s high occupancy toll lanes with the
extra capacity being sold to non-HOV’s. It seems like incentives to
carpool with 3 persons or more drop when such HOV’s are strapped
with ill-advised usage policies in a publicly owned high occupancy toll lane corridor. “Nanny lanes” anyone?
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