can I drive in HOT lanes free in Los Angeles, i.e. the 10 freeway?

I e-mailed the LA Fast Trak folks, and their reply is:

Thank you for contacting the Metro ExpressLanes FasTrak® Customer Service Center.

Beginning February 24, 2014 at 12:01 am vehicles displaying a DMV issued Clean Air Vehicle Decal
Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) Decals - High Occupancy Vehicle HOV Lane Usage
will be toll free. All vehicles, including Clean Air Vehicles, are required to have a FasTrak® transponder while travelling on the ExpressLanes. To ensure toll-free travel, set your transponder to switch position 3 (3+ person carpool) prior to starting your trip. Clean energy vehicles that do not have a Clean Air Vehicle Decal must drive with their transponder set according to their vehicle occupancy.

Sincerely,

Metro ExpressLanes FasTrak® Customer Service Center

 

From the MetroExpressLanes website link in the first paragraph of the Caltrans Managed Lane System News & Updates link shown above:

Effective February 24, 2014, vehicles displaying a DMV issued White or Green Clean Air Vehicle Decal will be toll-free. All vehicles, including Clean Air Vehicles are required to have a FasTrak® transponder while travelling on the ExpressLanes. To obtain your toll-free trip, set your transponder to switch position 3 (3+ person carpool) prior to starting your trip. Clean energy vehicles that do not have a Clean Air Vehicle Decal must drive with their transponder set according to their vehicle occupancy.

 

Is it better to get the transponder from AAA or Costco? Do any Costco's have it? I still find the maintenance fee annoying that if you don't use the transponder 3 times in a month it charges you $3, but it might be worth to have one for those occasional drives on the 10/110.

 

Aaa is only $32 if they kept it the same rate from earlier. I think they also removed the $3 monthly fee as well for everyone

 

Do you have a source where they removed $3 monthly fee from everyone? I knew they removed it for Los Angeles county residents, but I don't believe that applies to Orange County residents.

 

Oops. Everyone in la county.

 

From what I can see, the $3 monthly fee is waived for LA County residents during the pilot period and the pilot period ends February 2014....

 

I saw that, but I can't seem to find any information about what happens once the pilot period ends. I called a few weeks ago and their support had no idea.

 

My dad got a fine in the mail for driving in the HOT lane. The fine is $1 if paid in timely matter. If not, the fine is still $1 even with penalty. However, if not paid, they put a lien on the car until it's paid.

 

Just an FYI when the signs on the ExpressLanes say HOV ONLY
(this is off the Metro ExpressLanes Facebook page - Metro ExpressLanes - Los Angeles, CA - Government Organization, Public Transportation | Facebook

Post from Metro ExpressLanes
What happens if the lanes become too full?
If the lanes become too full and the tolls have reached the maximum amount, the message displayed on the overhead sign will change to "HOV ONLY". This message informs potential toll paying drivers that they will not be allowed to enter the ExpressLanes until the speeds climb back up to at least 45 mph. If you are a toll-paying driver already using the ExpressLanes when the sign message changes to "HOV ONLY" you will be able to complete your trip.

Question
When it says HOV ONLY, can people with green and white stickers (with only one person in the car) still use the lanes?

Answer from Metro ExpressLanes
No, sorry. It is not for solo drivers. It is for qualified carpoolers only. Details: If your vehicle meets the posted carpool occupancy requirements, and you have a FasTrak® switchable transponder set to the correct position, you may enter the ExpressLanes. If you have a FasTrak without the switch, or your vehicle does not meet the carpool occupancy requirements, you may not enter the ExpressLanes. If you enter without meeting the carpool occupancy requirements, you will be charged the maximum toll amount for the entire length of the ExpressLanes (11 miles on the I-110 or 14 miles on the I-10). See the “Occupancy Requirements” for each corridor for more details.

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(What I don't understand is if people with the CAV stickers driving solo have their transponder set to 3+ and it says HOV ONLY, how they will charge the toll? If you are stopped by the CHP for not having more than one person in the car at times when it says HOV ONLY, that would be a ticket, which would be far more than the toll, correct?)

 

Well, that seems like a strange point as the green and white stickers drivers are not toll-paying drivers.

 

It's on their Facebook page in a comment to the post about "What happens if the lanes become too full" on February 20th.

 

vajratlr: It is in one of the 3 posts from February 20 @ Metro ExpressLanes - Los Angeles, CA - Government Organization, Public Transportation | Facebook

 

This whole thing about when and where the decals apply sounds like the kind of thing that gives lawyers their jollies and provides ample opportunities for revenue enhancement from confusion by drivers. There is no practical way that a normal person could be expected to know that that a particular road was funded under such-and-such act and thus the rules as stated in section x.y.z of the vehicle code determine how the HOV decals are to be applied on that road. We had a similar situation here in Northern California under the old yellow decals, where the decals were not applicable on carpool lanes on county expressways, since the law as originally written mentioned only state and federal highways. And the screwball situation on the toll bridges, where one could use the decals in the diamond lane carpool approaches to the bridges, but you had to get out of that lane before the toll plaza since the decals did not grant you access to the carpool lanes on the bridge itself, since the bridges fell under different sets of rules.

If they have HOV decals at all, they should be absolutely equivalent to having a carpool-qualifying occupancy in the car. Everywhere, at all times. Anything else is just insane.

 

I wonder if these lanes will even stick around long-term? They are under review currently:
The formal ExpressLanes demonstration period ended on February 23, 2014. The ExpressLanes will remain in operation while we receive public comment and complete our evaluation.

The whole thing is so confusing. Aside from that, are enough people driving solo and paying tolls to justify the infrastructure and enforcement costs? I've read about and understand what they are trying to accomplish, but it doesn't seem to me that this is solving the problem.