Some car pool lanes would be switched
Mediha Fejzagic DiMartino, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/18/2010 09:15:59 AM PDT
For Ruben Alvarez one of the perks of having kids is being able to cruise in the carpool lane.
But if a San Bernardino County transportation planning agency follows through with its plan to ease traffic congestion on local freeways, Alvarez’ free ride in the diamond lane may soon be over.
San Bernardino Associated Governments is considering converting an existing carpool lane on the 10 Freeway into a toll one.
The plan, if approved, also will include the construction of double toll lanes along the 25-mile stretch from Haven Avenue in Ontario to Ford Street in Redlands.
“There is just so many lanes of freeway you can build,” said Garry Cohoe, a director of project delivery at SANBAG. “You have to use other methods to keep the freeways moving.”
The segment of the 15 Freeway from 395 Highway near Cajon Pass to 60 Freeway also could be affected – the proposed plan calls for converting the existing carpool lane into a toll one as well.
The prospect of paying to drive on taxpayer-funded freeways did not sit well with Alvarez.
“Money came out of our pockets to build the roads,” Ontario resident said. “And we’ll still be charged to use it. If you balance it out between your workers and your executives, you’ll see who will be riding in those lanes.”
Maria Zapata of Ontario agreed.
“It’s not right,” she said. “They should keep it as is. It’s not going to ease traffic. Less people will use it.”
And that is a part of the plan.
“One way to manage traffic is by tolls,” Cohoe said. “It worked well for the 91 Freeway.”
The section of I-10 through the San Bernardino Valley is one of the most congested freeway segments in San Bernardino County, according to SANBAG.
The existing carpool lane on the 10 Freeway is “already breaking down, it’s over capacity,” Cohoe said. If just a carpool lane is extended to Redlands – also one of the options up for a debate – it will likely achieve its capacity just six to seven years after the construction, he said.
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Tolls?! Oh, I thought you meant trolls!
There you go selling out to big business again. Is this what SANBAG considers supporting capitalism, selling-out the general public and our FREEways? What does the AQMD have to say about compromising the air quality in the IE by giving up the HOV lanes in favor of the almighty dollar? And how will Caltrans and SANBAG be justifying this upgrade to the public through the CEQA process, or does big business get an exemption from addressing the environmental effects of adding about one half again as much traffic to an already impacted highway system? Go ahead and keep comparing the I-10 to the SR-91 there Cohoe, that will guarantee a lot more public outrage on this plan to let big business make money (benefit) off of traffic congestion. Tolls are for trolls, political pickpockets like our local government transportation officials at SANBAG, looking for every opportunity to soak the general public for every dime.