Los Angeles is now a toll lane city, with solo drivers allowed to travel in carpool lanes on the 10 and 110 for a per-mile fee ever since the ExpressLanes started opening in late 2012. But the federally funded lanes have to keep traffic moving at a healthy pace or get their funding taken away, so Metro makes sure to conduct regular check-ups on the system. The latest report indicates the 10's ExpressLanes are out-performing the 110's, reports the Daily News, with both the ExpressLanes and the general purpose lanes on the former generally moving faster during rush hour than before the fees began. The speeds on the 110 have mostly remained the same, though during rush hour the ExpressLanes move a tad slower than when they're just a carpool lane.
What the ExpressLanes are very clearly doing, however, is pushing some commuters to transit, with ridership on the Silver Line express bus—which travels in the ExpressLanes—rising by 27 percent and bus travel times improving. The number of new vanpools, 117, also surpassed Metro's goals.
Thanks to the fees and the 253,000 ExpressLanes transponders sold, the lanes have added $34 million to Metro's coffers, and they're funneling that money into more buses, the El Monte bus station, and maintenance on the toll system. Metro is now considering extending the toll lanes beyond January 2015. So more details from the report:
On the 14-mile stretch of ExpressLanes on the 10:
· Speeds averaged about 55 miles per hour, and drivers arrived at their destination two minutes faster on average than before the fee lanes were installed.
On the general purpose lanes of the 10:
· Drivers saw about the same time savings in the morning rush and they moved at an average of 31 miles per hour. During the evening, these lanes slowed down a bit, but mostly due to new construction of the eastbound HOV lanes.
On the 11-mile stretch of ExpressLanes on the 110:
· The morning commute was two minutes slower than before the fees were instituted, with drivers traveling at 45 miles per hour.
On the general purpose lanes of the 110:
· Travel times decreased in these lanes during the morning rush, but have risen slightly in the evening since the ExpressLanes opened.
· ExpressLanes report shows better results on 10, than on 110 [Daily News]
· Toll Lanes on 110 and 10 Seem to Be Working Pretty Well [Curbed LA]
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