With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Carpool cheaters may face a crackdown in toll lanes
Traffic moves slowly on the 110 Freeway during afternoon rush hour in downtown Los Angeles on May 6, 2015.
(
Jae C. Hong/AP
)
Listen
0:52
Carpool cheaters may face a crackdown in toll lanes
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking to improve the speed and capacity of the toll lanes on the 10 and 110 freeways since speeds have slowed over five years.
Some officials blame drivers who are cheating the system.
Metro estimates that about a quarter of drivers using the toll lanes aren’t paying their fair share. In most cases, the drivers are switching their FasTrak transponder to carpool, even when they’re driving by themselves.
Carpools of two or more people get a pass on paying tolls. The charge per mile increases with levels of congestion and if the lanes get too crowded. The frequency with which the lanes are limited to carpools has been increasing over recent years and single-occupancy vehicles are no longer allowed to pay to use the lanes.
Sponsored message
Metro contracts with the California Highway Patrol to enforce the toll lanes. A representative from the agency said patrols write an average of 1,300 tickets a month to toll lane violators.
Some officials would like to see increased enforcement, but the space of the roadways limit how many squad cars can pull over violators.
Metro is also planning to test a camera system that could automatically detect the number of people in a vehicle and issue tickets to those who lie about carpooling.
The board is also weighing whether to recommend an increase in carpool requirements from two to three people. But the decision will ultimately be made by Caltrans, which operates the freeways.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
