PiP Eligible for Ca HOV/HOT Lanes

I think the value of the pip just went up with this bill being signed in california.

 

STOP THE PRESSES

This is major news.. This fall the 110 Harbor Freeway is being converted to HOT. So when will we know if we get access.
As far as I had read, we will not get free access for the "trial" period on the HOT lanes. We will need to pay the toll just as everyone else. Can you please expand rogerv and share some links for more info?

 

SB 535 also specified that low-emission vehicles with valid
stickers are not exempt from paying tolls on HOT lanes on State
Highways 10 and 110 in Los Angeles. At the time, Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority expressed concern
that granting access to drivers of these vehicles could congest
the lanes enough to jeopardize federal funding for the projects.


This bill exempts vehicles with green and white stickers from
toll charges that single-occupant vehicles pay to access HOT
lanes. This exemption does not apply to HOT lanes on State
Highway 110 in Los Angeles until after November 1, 2013, nor
does the exemption apply to HOT lanes on State Highway 10 in Los
Angeles until after March 1, 2014.




From AB 2405 Assembly Bill - Bill Analysis

 

It almost seems like a racket to raise revenue by making the rules concerning who is exempt in various HOT/HOV lanes so complex that they are sure to generate lots of hefty $400+ fines. If one comes across a HOT lane, one is responsible for knowing under what program it was funded and if HOV stickers (furthermore possibly distinguishing the green and white ones) are exempt under that particular program. Like in the San Francisco Bay Area under the old yellow sticker program: For a while until the law was changed, diamond lanes on county-funded expressways were not open to yellow stickers, since the law for the yellow stickers specified only state and federal roads. So it was your responsibility to know that a particular carpool lane was on a county expressway and thus the yellow stickers were not valid (note that we are not talking about rural roads here; these expressways are in the middle of the cities).

 

The HOT lane on I-680 S in Alameda and Santa Clara county is exempt with the green and white stickers under the existing law. But isn't in the new HOT lane on the 110 in LA, but will be under the new law, but perhaps not until a "trial" period has passed. Totally a confusing mess

Why can't they just say that the green and white sticker is equivalent to having a carpool, so one pays whatever (if anything) a carpool pays?

 

Picked up transponder at AAA today. If pay w/credit card there is no deposit. You get $40 toll credit but pay AAA only $32. I enrolled on line and now ready for Nov 10th.

 

From what I have read, they will have video cameras monitoring the 110 HOT. If you indicate you have HOV status and you have less than the required occupants, they will send you a fine and charge you the fee.

 

How exactly are they going to see a car seat with an infant or small child secured in the back seat of the car? Or on the flip side, some wise-guy who puts a realistic mannequin in the passenger seat? Here in Northern California, enforcement of the carpool status is by visual inspection by a patrolman who pulls you over if you appear to not have the required occupancy. If there is no patrolman, you get away with it that time.

 

That might be what they will do. I had seen on their website that they are doing a combination of video and patrol units.

I know if you don't have the transponder, you automatically get mailed the ticket.

If they are doing it like they do on the 91 freeway between Riverside and LA, then I've seen it a million times where a solo occupant drives the HOV lane at the pay collector to avoid paying the toll.

 

...interesting VA is building HOT lanes ...Capital Beltway HOT lanes on I495 in VA opens soon.
Its going to be interesting to see how it works.

 

The monthly $3 account maintenance fee for each transponder is waved if you use a HOT lane 4 times in a month. My driving needs are such that I would have enough toll-free 2 passenger trips per month to not have to worry about the $3. But if you would rarely use the 110/10 fwy HOT lanes you have to ask yourself if you want to pay $36 a year just to have the transponder.

I travel the 110 everyday usually off peak and stay out of the HOV lane to avoid burning excessive gas at 75 mph. But if I'm running late for an appointment and the traffic is congested I have no option to use the HOT lane if I don't have a transponder. I paid quite a bit to Toyota to be able to get a "solo in the HOV lane" green sticker. Since Metro forces me to spend additional money for 110/10 fwy HOT lane SOV access, it is, in principal, pretty much more of the same - pay to play.

My understanding is that dispite AB2405, Metro still requires cars with green or white stickers in the 110/10 fwys HOT lanes to:
1) use a FasTrak® transponder set to the correct number of occupants
2) pay the toll if solo in the HOT lanes

 

Everyone who is upset that the MTA is banning your EV from the carpool lanes should go to the FB page for Metro Express Lanes and let them know. ​

Metro ExpressLanes - Los Angeles, CA - Public Transportation, Government Organization | Facebook​

Here is text you can use if you want:​

I understand your reasoning in banning my White-Stickered EV from free use of the new carpool lanes on the 10 and 110 freeway, but I strongly disagree. I purchased my vehicle so I could use these lanes as the State had promised me. Your action will have a direct, negative impact on my daily life. As such, though I may have supported the idea of a toll lane, this action will result in my becoming an active and vocal opponent. I plead with you to reconsider, for both my sake and the future success of your program. Banning EVs from these lanes will only result in public anger at the entire project, leading ultimately to it's demise. ​

Thanks all!​

​

 

Here is text you can use if you want:​

I understand your reasoning in banning my White-Stickered EV from free use of the new carpool lanes on the 10 and 110 freeway, but I strongly disagree. I purchased my vehicle so I could use these lanes as the State had promised me. Your action will have a direct, negative impact on my daily life. As such, though I may have supported the idea of a toll lane, this action will result in my becoming an active and vocal opponent. I plead with you to reconsider, for both my sake and the future success of your program. Banning EVs from these lanes will only result in public anger at the entire project, leading ultimately to it's demise. ​

Thanks all!​

​

[/quote]


Not that I want to be a schoolmarm here, but I think you would need to clear up several errors of diction before we would consider cutting and pasting your paragraph. Plus, a stronger argument would also help. I would stress that banning white and green sticker vehicles cannibalizes the incentive behind another state-funded program.

 

So, are we good to use the 110 HOT lanes now? Do we still need a transponder? Will we have to pay the $3 monthly fee?

 

I'd like to know the latest as well as I frequently use the 10. But I believe it won't go into effect until March.
And if you didn't know already, the $3 monthly fee is waived for L.A. county residents.

 

I'm not in LA county so I don't think it's waived for me. I called the Metro ExpressLanes phone number but no one seemed to know anything. I wonder if Dianne or anyone here can shine some light on the 110 and 10 HOT lanes. It seems no one at the call center had any clue what would happen when the experimental phase finishes.