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Encyclopedia > 91 Express Lanes

The 91 Express Lanes is a ten-mile high-occupancy toll road / tollway hybrid contained entirely within the median of the Riverside Freeway (California State Route 91) in Orange County, California. During most hours of the day, high-occupancy tolls are charged only to operators of single occupant vehicles using the lanes. But during peak commute hours, the lanes turn into a full toll road, charging all users. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Highway A High occupancy toll (HOT) is a toll enacted on single occupant vehicles who wish to use roads, and lanes within roads, designated for the use of high occupancy vehicles (HOVs). ... A toll road, turnpike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a fee for use. ... In biology, hybrid has three meanings. ... The Riverside Freeway is the assigned name of a segment of California State Route 91 (CA/SR-91), a major east-west freeway located entirely within Southern California that links the cities/communities of Orange and Riverside counties. ... California State Highway 91 (CA/SR-91) is a major east-west freeway located entirely within Southern California. ... This is an article about the county in California. ... A single-occupant vehicle (SOV) is a privately operated vehicle whose only occupant is the driver. ...


The 91 Express Lanes run from the Costa Mesa Freeway interchange in Anaheim to the Riverside County line. Summary California State Route 55, or the Costa Mesa Freeway (generally known as the 55 but sometimes referred to by its older name, the Newport Freeway) is a 18 mile north-south highway in Orange County, California running between Newport Beach and Anaheim at California State Route 91. ... Anaheim is a city in Orange County, Southern California, located 6 miles (15km) northwest of Downtown Santa Ana. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ...


History

By the early 1990s, rapid development of the areas of the Inland Empire around Riverside had made the Riverside Freeway--the sole freeway connecting the bedroom communities and industrial areas of the Inland Empire to the wealthy suburbs and commercial centers of Orange County--one of the most congested in the Greater Los Angeles region. For residents of Southern California, the Inland Empire is a popular informal name for a region located at the eastern end of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area is the suburban area around the city of Los Angeles, California. ...


In response, the California legislature authorized a private consortium, the California Private Transportation Company (CPTC), to create a fully automated, radio-transponder-activated tollway contained entirely within the median of the existing Riverside Freeway. Opening in 1995, the 91 Express Lanes were the first privately funded tollway built in the United States since the 1940s, and the first fully automated tollway in the world. A toll road, turnpike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a fee for use. ...


The express lanes have been controversial because of a "non-compete" agreement that the state made with CPTC. The clause, which was negotiated by Caltrans and never was brought to the legislature, prevent any improvements along 30 miles of the Riverside Freeway to ensure profit for the express lanes. This includes restricting the state from widening the free lanes or building mass transit near the freeway. Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ... The Riverside Freeway is the assigned name of a segment of California State Route 91 (CA/SR-91), a major east-west freeway located entirely within Southern California that links the cities/communities of Orange and Riverside counties. ...


In 2003, their ownership and operation was purchased by the Orange County Transportation Authority, marking the first time the 91 Express Lanes was managed by public officials. Within a few months, OCTA turned the lanes into the HOT / tollway hybrid that it is today. The Orange County Transportation Authority, colloquially abbreviated OCTA (speaking each letter and not using the definitive article), is the public sector transportation planning body and transit service provider for Orange County, California. ...


But as a result of the controversy, more toll road advocates favor creating local agencies similar to Transportation Corridor Agencies to build and maintain future tollways. New toll roads would be financed with tax-exempt bonds on a stand-alone basis -- taxpayers would not be responsible for repaying any debt if toll revenues fall short. And there would be a less restrictive "non-compete" clause: They would only be compensated for any revenue loss caused by improvements near the toll roads.


References

  • Tollway Trial at a Dead End in California (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/132725291.html?did=132725291&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Jul+7%2C+2002&author=DAN+WEIKEL&desc=Tollway+Trial+at+a+Dead+End+in+California%3B+Transit%3A+Pay-as-you-go+highways+have+become+a+political+nightmare.+But+backers+say+that+with+new+approach%2C+the+roads+can+live+up+to+early+hype.) by Dan Weikel. Los Angeles Times. July 7, 2002

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Managed Lanes: A Primer (5494 words)
The lane management strategies may vary depending on (1) the objectives of the project, (2) whether the strategy is implemented on new capacity or an existing facility, (3) the availability of right-of-way, (4) current operational characteristics in the corridor, and (5) environmental and societal concerns.
SR 91 Express Lanes operators monitor volumes in the lanes and have raised tolls several times as a result of increased congestion on the facility in an effort to maintain free-flow conditions and return a profit.
The managed lane approach is the evolution of traditional lane management strategies, with the primary difference being the idea of active management over the life of the facility.
91 Express Lanes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (995 words)
The 91 Express Lanes is a ten-mile high-occupancy toll road / full tollway hybrid contained entirely within the median of the Riverside Freeway (California State Route 91) in Orange County, California, operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).
The 91 Express Lanes run from the Costa Mesa Freeway interchange in Anaheim to the Riverside County line.
In 2003, their ownership and operation was purchased by the Orange County Transportation Authority, marking the first time the 91 Express Lanes was managed by public officials.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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