91 Express Lanes

Infobox road
state=CA
type=SR
route=91
highway_name=91 Express Lanes
maint=

---

The 91 Express Lanes is a ten-mile (16 km) high-occupancy toll road / full tollway combination contained entirely within the median of the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91) in Orange County, California. They run from the Costa Mesa Freeway (State Route 55) interchange in Anaheim to the Riverside County line.

The 91 Express Lanes are owned by the Orange County Transportation Authority. Cofiroute USA was paid $5,448,768 to manage and operate the toll lanes in 2006 under a management contract that expires in 2011. .cite web | url=http://www.octa.net/91annual07b/test.pdf | title=91 Express Lanes - 2007 Annual Report | accessdate=2008-04-25]

Description

The 91 Express Lanes consist of two primary lanes in each direction, separated from the regular, main lanes of the Riverside Freeway with reflective yellow, 3' high, plastic lane markers (as opposed to concrete barriers or a similar "solid" barrier). Each direction also has an additional high-occupancy vehicle lane, called the "3+ Carpool Lane", that can only be used by motorcycles and vehicles with three or more passengers.cite web | url=http://www.91expresslanes.com/generalinfo/commonquestions.asp | title=91 Express Lanes - Common Questions | accessdate=2007-04-27] Limited access to the 91 Express Lanes are provided only at its east and west ends.

All tolls are collected using an open road tolling system, with each vehicle required to carry a FasTrak RFID transponder; there are no toll booths to receive cash. The 91 Express Lanes use a variable pricing system based on the time of day. The road is not truly "congestion priced" because toll rates come from a preset schedule instead of being based on actual congestion. Since January 1, 2008, the toll on the busiest hour on the tollway, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm eastbound on Fridays, is $10.00, or $1.00 per mile,cite web | url=http://www.91expresslanes.com/tollschedules.asp | title=91 Express Lanes - Toll Schedules | accessdate=2007-01-27] the highest toll for any toll road in the country. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/02/AR2007030201917_2.html Steep Prices Projected for HOT Lanes - washingtonpost.com ] ] The highest toll in the morning rush hour, 7:00 am to 8:00 am westbound Monday to Thursday, is $4.35.

Motorcycles and vehicles with three or more passengers who use the "3+" carpool lanes are not charged a toll, except when traveling eastbound from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on weekdays. During that period, they are charged 50% of the full posted toll. Even though there may be no toll charge, a FasTrak transponder is still required on all vehicles using the "3+" carpool lanes.

A "Toll Policy" is published which states the criteria where tolls will be raised. The policy is designed to "a) reduce the likelihood of congestion by diverting traffic to other hours with available capacity; b) maintain free flow travel speed in the 91 Express Lanes; c) maintain travel time savings; d) accommodate projected growth in travel demand and; e) ensure that the toll road generates sufficient revenue to effectively operate the toll lanes and maintain a strong debt service position." Changes to the toll schedule require ten days notification to the public and the OCTA board. Once tolls are changed during the "super peak" period, they may not be changed again for six months. All tolls increase annually due to inflation.cite web | url=http://www.91expresslanes.com/generalinfo/tollpolicy.asp | title=91 Express Lanes Toll Policy | date=2003-07-14 | accessdate=2007-04-27] Despite this, the toll lanes are generally free flowing during most peak hour conditions. [http://tollroadsnews.info/artman/publish/article_1277.shtml]

Fees and account types

OCTA offers three types of basic accounts for anybody who wishes to open a FasTrak account: [cite web | url=http://www.91expresslanes.com/generalinfo/accounttypes.asp | title=91 Express Lanes - Account Types and Discount Programs | accessdate=2007-04-27]

* Standard Plan: A monthly toll minimum of $7 is charged.

* Convenience Plan: A one-time $75 fee is charged with no monthly toll minimums.

* 91 Express Club: A $20 monthly fee is charged, but offers a $1 discount on all tolls.

There are three special access accounts that offer various discounts and benefits to those who qualify: [cite web | url=http://www.91expresslanes.com/generalinfo/specaccagreement.asp | title=91 Express Lanes - Special Access Account Agreement | accessdate=2007-04-27]

* 3+ Carpool and Motorcycle Accounts: Both of these accounts waive the normal $7 monthly minimum toll requirement. In both cases, if the FasTrak transponder is ever used without going through the "3+ Carpool Lane", the account is converted to a standard account, and the $7 monthly minimum will apply.

* Disabled Person or Disabled Veteran: - Can only be used in a vehicle with special license plate for the disabled.

* Zero Emissions Vehicle: - Available to those with zero-emissions vehicles. This cannot be used with hybrids, compressed natural gas, or other low emissions vehicles, even with a DMV Clean Air decal.

These special discounted tolls do not apply if the FasTrak transponder is used on other toll roads and bridges in California; users will be charged the full toll amount on those other facilities.

History

Due to rapid population growth and the decline in the availability of "affordable" housing closer to job centers in Orange County, new residential development began in earnest in western Riverside County (consistent with similar accelerated growth throughout the Inland Empire) during the 1980s, and continues to this day. This new development is occurring in or around existing cities such as Riverside, Corona, Norco, and Moreno Valley. As there are very few direct routes between Orange and Riverside Counties because of the Santa Ana Mountains that separate the two counties, the Riverside Freeway is subject to a very heavy traffic volume, comprised primarily of commuters traveling between where they work in Orange County and where they live in Riverside County (often referred to by traffic reporters as "The Corona Crawl") [ [http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=20 The Next American City ] ] Typical peak period delays were 30-40 minutes in each direction in the ten miles (16 km) of the tollway before construction. [http://ceenve.calpoly.edu/sullivan/SR91/final_rpt/execsumm.pdf]

Solutions to the traffic problem were limited. The chosen solution was to create a toll road in the median of the freeway. The toll road route operates between the Orange/Riverside county line and the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55) interchange in eastern Anaheim - a distance of about convert|10|mi|km. The project was developed in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) by California Private Transportation Company (CPTC). CPTC formally transferred ownership of the facility to the State of California prior to opening the project to traffic on December 27, 1995. Caltrans then leased the toll road back to CPTC for a 35-year operating period. The new lanes have been officially designated a part of the state highway system. [ [http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/12/26/news/californian/122505203232.txt Highway 91 toll lanes turn 10 - The Californian / North County Times ] ] The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is responsible for providing police services at CPTC's expense. Maintenance and operational costs for the facility are also the responsibility of CPTC. In April, 2002, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) reached an agreement in concept to purchase the private toll road project for $207.5 million. OCTA took possession of the Toll Road on January 3, 2003, marking the first time the 91 Express Lanes was managed by public officials. Within a few months, OCTA turned the lanes into the HOT / tollway hybrid that it is today. [http://www.octa.net/presentation/031207/91lanes.pdf] One of the primary investors in CPTC, Cofiroute USA, continues to manage and operate the lanes under a management contract with OCTA. [http://www.octa.net/91annual07b/test.pdf]

Opening in 1995, the 91 Express Lanes is the first privately funded tollway built in the United States since the 1940s, and the first fully automated tollway in the world.

The express lanes have been controversial because of a "non-compete" agreement that the state made with CPTC. The clause, which was negotiated by Caltrans and never was brought to the legislature, prevent any improvements along convert|30|mi|km of the Riverside Freeway to ensure profit for the express lanes. This includes restricting the state from widening the free lanes or building mass transit near the freeway. CPTC filed a lawsuit against Caltrans over freeway widening related to the interchange with the Eastern Transportation Corridor interchange, which was dismissed once the purchase with OCTA was finalized. [ [http://pwm.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/5/4/259 An Odyssey of Privatizing Highways: The Evolving Case of SR 91 - Price 5 (4): 259 - Public Works Management & Policy ] ]

But as a result of the controversy, more toll road advocates favor creating local agencies similar to Transportation Corridor Agencies to build and maintain future tollways. New toll roads would be financed with tax-exempt bonds on a stand-alone basis -- taxpayers would not be responsible for repaying any debt if toll revenues fall short. And there would be a less restrictive "non-compete" clause: They would only be compensated for any revenue loss caused by improvements near the toll roads. [http://www.uctc.net/scripts/access.pl?25/Access%2025%20-%2005%20-%20Lessons%20From%20SR%2091.pdf]

Meanwhile, OCTA announced a proposal in 2005 to study an convert|11|mi|km|sing=on tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains and along fault lines to help relieve traffic on the 91. The proposal is opposed by environmental groups, cities in Orange County near the terminus of the proposed road, and by the Irvine Company, which believes that the tunnel is not necessary and distracts from short term solutions such as freeway widening. [ [http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/12/13/news/californian/121205212424.txt Orange County OKs more study of tunnel - The Californian / North County Times ] ]

References

* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/132725291.html?did=132725291&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Jul+7%2C+2002&author=DAN+WEIKEL&desc=Tollway+Trial+at+a+Dead+End+in+California%3B+Transit%3A+Pay-as-you-go+highways+have+become+a+political+nightmare.+But+backers+say+that+with+new+approach%2C+the+roads+can+live+up+to+early+hype. Tollway Trial at a Dead End in California] by Dan Weikel. "Los Angeles Times." July 7, 2002

External links

* [http://www.91expresslanes.com/ 91 Express Lanes]