If the TCA purchases the Express Lanes at a reasonable price-say $185 million-it could then: Eliminate contracted services ($1 million), advertising, professional fees and other duplicated costs ($1.2 million) and the combined operations would save another $2.2 million per year for a total of $4.4 million. CPTC’s current salaries and benefits of $2.8 million per year will be greatly reduced, as will $1.6 million in annual general and administrative expenses.įor now, let’s assume those costs can be cut in half, for $2.2 million in savings. The TCA should be able to reduce these expenditures by at least 40% because it has staffing and technology already in place. The remainder is spent on administrative expenditures. Half of the revenue is used to retire debt. The company generates about $20 million in annual toll revenue. The TCA operates two toll roads and has the infrastructure to handle the dashboard transponders. A superior alternative already exists-the toll road agency. OCTA is not the natural agency to be purchasing the Express Lanes. Think about it: If it were viable, then why haven’t we pursued building a deck over existing freeway lanes? At least with a tunnel, we can compare the proposal with projects around the globe, including the costs and success rates. I consider that proposal to be very tenuous from a financial perspective. It would be beneficial to determine if a double-deck road over a railroad right of way is economically viable. The third idea is to build a highway next to the Riverside Freeway, using railroad right of way. This option deserves serious consideration. A tunnel is as technologically feasible, environmentally sensitive and financially achievable as a toll road. We definitely need an alternate route to the Inland Empire. The second idea calls for the Transportation Corridor Agencies to build a tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains. AB 1010, carried by Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim), was designed to let OCTA collect tolls on the Riverside Freeway. to 5 p.m.OCTA, however, is not a toll road operator, so it must go through significant legislative hoops to become one. Orange County Transportation Authority Store, 600 S. In person: Corona Customer Service Center, 2275 Sampson Ave., Suite 100, Corona. to 5 p.m., Monday through Fridayīy mail: 91 Express Lanes, P.O. Riverside County Transportation Commission still need to landscape the side of the freeway, remove construction materials and will finish improvements to some ramps and nearby roads.īy phone: 80, 8 a.m. Although the new lanes will be open, full work on the project won’t be completed until this fall. Those using the 241 toll lane will have to move over into the general lanes.ĭoes this mean constructions and closures are over? There will be a 1.25-mile transition section between the Green River Road toll station and the Orange County access, where drivers can decide to stay on or get off. How to connect to the Orange County toll lanes? California Highway Patrol and 91 Express Lane staff will be on hand to visually check that all vehicles meet the requirements. All vehicles must have a transponder.Ĭar pool use will be verified at a special HOV3 entrance at each toll point that drivers must use to get the discount. Motorcyclists, owners of zero-emission vehicles and those with a disabled license plate can also qualify for discounts. Car pool vehicles will have to pay half-price when going eastbound during the peak commute hours of 4 p.m. The carpool lane is going away with the project but vehicles with three or more people - an increase from the previous requirement of two - can ride free in the toll lanes most of the time. What about carpool, motorcyclist, electronic vehicle and other uses? Transportation officials will monitor the toll lanes use and make adjustments as they see fit. The charges - which will be displayed on electronic message boards - will range from $1.80 to $4.95 but will vary based on time of day and how heavy traffic is flowing.
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