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FasTrak express lanes turn 2, but traffic hasn't improved
File photo: Motorists make their way out of downtown Los Angeles headed east on the Interstate 10 freeway on August 30, 2013.
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FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
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FasTrak express lanes on the 10 Freeway turned two years old on Monday. They span 14 miles between downtown L.A. and the 605 Freeway. They were supposed to improve traffic flow. But so far: no such luck.
MTA officials say it's all about the economy.
There are more drivers on the 10 Freeway now than there were a year ago. And express lane drivers can't complain. Their speeds have stayed consistently above average of 45 miles per hour during peak travel times.
But solo drivers in the general purpose lanes might feel differently. Between September 2013 and September 2014, their speeds during the morning commute dropped from 40 miles per hour to 31 on the stretch between the 605 and Fremont Avenue.
Metro is a big fan of the express lane and wants more of them.
This summer, its board members will consider extending lanes on the 110 south to the 405 and converting lanes on a portion of the 105.
It would help Metro's bottom line — it's collected more than $21 million on express lanes on the 10 Freeway.
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