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Managed Lanes: On the Road to Sustainability

For years, OCTA has employed managed lanes as one of many tools to encourage carpooling and promote transit usage, improve travel-time reliability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle-miles traveled (VMT), and maximize the efficiency of freeways while reducing congestion and delay.

Following OCTA's purchase of the 91 Express Lanes in 2003, it became among the first to offer congestion management pricing to optimize traffic at free-flow speeds while encouraging free carpooling during certain hours. In 2007, OCTA led an effort to add Continuous Access Carpool Lanes on freeways, when it made them available on SR-22. These lanes, where a driver can enter or exit a carpool lane at any point, can now be found on freeways throughout Orange County.

In December 2023, OCTA opened the 405 Express Lanes to provide a 14-mile free-flowing, congestion-free travel option. These managed lanes are part of the I-405 Improvement Project, which brought transformative improvements to a 16-mile stretch of I-405 between Costa Mesa and the Los Angeles County line. The 405 Express Lanes allows carpools of three or more people to travel free at all times and vehicles with two people can travel for free during non-peak hours. Since opening, the 405 Express Lanes has been widely used, with more than 16 million trips taken in the first year.

OCTA continues its commitment to a balanced and sustainable highway system that recognizes the importance of reducing VMT while increasing efficiency. OCTA is dedicated to helping reduce congestion and amplifying environmental goals by encouraging drivers to share the ride and take trips when roads are less congested.

For additional details about OCTA freeway projects, visit here.

More Freeway Information

  • OCTA invests 43 percent of OC Go funds into the freeway system. With major upgrades included for SR-91 in north Orange County, I-5 in south Orange County, I-405 in west Orange County and SR-55 in central Orange County, major chokepoints on almost every freeway will be improved, increasing safety and mobility throughout Orange County. Other funding is provided by state and federal sources.
  • Since 2003, OCTA has dedicated nearly $800 million in 91 Express Lanes toll revenues to transportation improvements along SR-91, including for bus and rail transit, improvements to the existing freeway corridor and funding set aside for future projects.

Additional Resources

More than 2 Million Trips Taken on 405 Express Lanes in First Two Months
Owned and operated by OCTA, the 405 Express Lanes helps tens of thousands of drivers every day speed up their commutes with a reliable time-saving option for traveling through one of the nation’s busiest stretches of highway.
I-405 Improvements Bring Traffic Relief from Central O.C. to the L.A. County Line
Transportation leaders and elected officials gathered December 1 to celebrate the successful completion of OCTA’s I-405 Improvement Project, which aims to improve travel times along one of the nation’s busiest highways.
Improvements Continue on SR-55 Improvement Project
Work continues on the SR-55 (I-405 and I-5) Improvement Project to help ease the drive for commuters. The $475.1 million project will improve mobility and reduce congestion on the freeway, a vital link from central Orange County to the coast.
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