The discussion of potentially adding toll lanes to manage congestion will be back to the transportation agency board in December
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority board voted unanimously today to hold off on making a decision regarding toll lanes on the San Diego Freeway (I-405) until its meeting scheduled for Dec. 9.
The board asked that additional information be provided and meetings be held with local, state and federal officials regarding tolling policies. In addition, board members want to ensure that OCTA would control the local toll policy and keep any excess toll revenue for improvements to transportation along the I-405 corridor.
Board members also stressed the need to continue reaching out to the cities along I-405 to ensure they are a part of the decision-making process. The board asked that a list of local projects that could be funded with any excess toll revenue be developed.
The board also asked that options to improve the existing carpool lanes as they exist today be explored.
The I-405 project is currently in the environmental phase and three alternatives are being studied to improve traffic in the area between SR-73 in Costa Mesa and I-605 at the county line in Seal Beach.
The current option the board has recommended is Alternative 1. The options being studied include:
- A no-build alternative
- Alternative 1: Adding one general-purpose lane in each direction at a cost of $1.25 billion.
- Alternative 2: Adding two general-purpose lanes each direction at a cost of $1.35 billion
- Alternative 3: Adding one general-purpose lane in each direction, and adding a high-occupancy toll lane that would combine with the existing carpool lane to create a two-lane express lanes facility at a cost of $1.47 billion.
Any project built will include at least one free lane in each direction, as part of the I-405 Improvement Project that is funded through Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation.
OCTA is looking at tolling options in carpool lanes in part because last year’s federal transportation bill, known as MAP-21, requires that carpool lanes operate at 45 mph or more 90 percent of the time. Carpool lanes on the I-405 – as well as freeways throughout Orange County and statewide – are failing to meet this standard.
It is estimated that adding high-occupancy toll lanes could generate $1.5 billion (after operations and maintenance costs) during the next 30 years, which could fund additional improvements.
The I-405 is the busiest stretch of freeway in the country, carrying more than 370,000 cars a day. Traffic volumes are expected to increase approximately 35 percent by 2040 and Caltrans and OCTA are proposing to widen the freeway to improve travel conditions for commuters.
For more information, visit www.octa.net/405improvement.
