Freeway Tolls for Carpool Lanes

Carpool lanes on a couple of Southern California freeways may become part-time tollways within three years. KPCC's Patricia Nazario has details on today's news conference where local and federal officials promoted the attributes of so-called "congestion pricing."

Patricia Nazario: The proposed toll scheme would vary depending on the time of day. Freeway express lanes on the 91, connecting Riverside and Orange Counties, pioneered the concept in the Southland. Why not expand it to Los Angeles, Federal Transportation Secretary Mary Peters asked.

Mary Peters: We want this iconic American city to continue to be known for epic Hollywood movies, not epic traffic tie ups.

Nazario: And jam-free traffic isn't just for the rich and famous, she added.

Peters: State route 91 tells us that 90% of the people use the lanes only 10% of the time. They use it when they're gonna be late picking up a child up from daycare and having to pay late fees. They're using it when they have an important business meeting.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: It may fail. But if it failed, then we've at least tried, and we know it doesn't work.

Nazario: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the federal grant could also improve bus and train services.

Schwarzenegger: They are partners with us, and say here, we give you $213 million to Los Angeles. Try this. It may work, and then we can use it in other cities. So, we love to be the guinea pig on that one.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: You know folks, everywhere I go, people say to me, mayor, what are you gonna do about traffic?

Nazario: And Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called the congestion pricing approach to easing traffic a bold idea.

Villaraigosa: It's not something that people are familiar with. They like the "free" in freeway. But at the same time, they complain about the gridlock.

Nazario: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to apply tolls on carpool lanes on the 10 and 210 freeways in the San Gabriel Valley. It'll start in a little more than three years. If the federal money stretches, drivers on the Harbor 110 freeway south of downtown L.A. may also have the option of pay-to-drive lanes.