Los Angeles to kick the Leaf out of the HOV lanes

[JasonA]

$0.25/mile when there's NO traffic?? and $1.25/mile during peak/high traffic times?? WTF??

I'll take an alt route, or sit on my crack and relax in traffic rather then pay a useless system that will never work :roll:

BTW.. what happens to vehicles that have no lic plates yet? LOL

 

[thankyouOB]

yes, the METRO system of Lexus Lanes is a ripoff and bad policy and lacks social justice. I oppose it and fought it.
i think it has slowed traffic in the main lanes and given an unfair advantage to those with bucks, traveling on an expense account or some other way to deduct the cost. There is a social utility to incentivizing EVs; there is none to incentivizing the rich and the write-off folks.

meanwhile, until we can get through the trial period, we are stuck with it. I would not pay to use it regularly, but I am OK with getting a second transponder. The ICE has one as my partner needs it sometimes, and we most often use it to drive together to downtown, when there is no toll.

as to getting it more cheaply, here is a tip-repeated: AAA has a discounted rate to put it in your car-about $8 off or 20%; go check it out. you still have to pay the $3 a month maintenance fee, if you dont travel 4x a month in the lane. we do that often but not always.

 

[JasonA]

Yeah, if I was in a position the way I was in another life (always in downtown or going through the area to SM, etc) then I'd consider it... but this whole 5/405 construction mess is a joke and the way they are making up so-called HOV lanes run for a short distance, then merge back into the fast lanes is a F-ING JOKE!!
I'd love to talk to the civil eng's that thought of all those... POINT BEING.. the new 5 HOV's right where the 170 is at and ends just a short amount later near Hollywood Way..

Yeah.. that'll help out great! :roll: Just like the Burbank planners that congered up the mess at Burbank Blvd where the Costco is at at Victory Blvd.. :lol: :twisted:

Greased Palms is all I can say... Tax $$$'s at work!! :idea:

 

[Valdemar]

Yeah, if I was in a position the way I was in another life (always in downtown or going through the area to SM, etc) then I'd consider it... but this whole 5/405 construction mess is a joke and the way they are making up so-called HOV lanes run for a short distance, then merge back into the fast lanes is a F-ING JOKE!!
I'd love to talk to the civil eng's that thought of all those... POINT BEING.. the new 5 HOV's right where the 170 is at and ends just a short amount later near Hollywood Way..

Yeah.. that'll help out great! :roll: Just like the Burbank planners that congered up the mess at Burbank Blvd where the Costco is at at Victory Blvd.. :lol: :twisted:

Greased Palms is all I can say... Tax $$$'s at work!! :idea:

Well, the 5 HOV would have worked perfectly for my needs if I didn't move a month ago. I used to take 118/5 from west SFV to the Hollywood Way exit. Even before the HOV is open the transition from 5N to 118 is much more manageable thanks to the new connector. So while not perfect it will be a big improvement at least in terms of lightening traffic in the area where 5/118/170 meet. Unfortunately now I have to deal with the mess on 101 every morning, speaking about bad timing. I heard rumors about addition of a HOT lane on 101, keeping my fingers crossed

 

[thankyouOB]

METRO just emailed me in response to a question put to them via the inquiry tool at our ExpressLanes account.
they said the EV free with transponder begins March 1.
that is a week later than it says on their own Facebook page.
go figure.

 

[RonDawg]

I'd love to talk to the civil eng's that thought of all those... POINT BEING.. the new 5 HOV's right where the 170 is at and ends just a short amount later near Hollywood Way..

The reason for the "HOV lanes to nowhere" is because construction on I-5 is not complete yet. The 5/170 interchange itself has taken several years just to add two lanes (one regular, one HOV) in each direction, due to all the bridges that had to be demolished and rebuilt. It's not done yet as they're now going to put direct HOV connectors to/from the 170, where the old mainline ramp used to be.

One complete, the HOV lanes are supposed to be continuous between the 134 in Glendale, and Santa Clarita. Metro is also working on the stretch of the 5 between the 605 and the Orange County border. All that remains is the part between the 605 and 134 Freeways, but as that is heavily urbanized that will take a long time to get done, if ever.

 

[JasonA]

Really? you know this for a fact? :roll: Because it sure looks like to me that RIGHT were Sheldon St. starts there is the NEW HOV lane and right on the other side is the DIVIDING wall and the opposite traffic :roll: .. and that ONE SINGLE HOV lane just goes down past Hollywood Way where IT ENDS and merges BACK into the mainline fast lane....

and there's NO room because they have already expanded the 5 in that area. I don't see a HOV lane going through Burbank (the city didn't approve it).. nor hitting the 134/101 area..

And my buddy is the main foreman for CMC rebar (provider of all the projects) and he said no way... nothing has been approved 2023 maybe...

but whatever.. I'll keep my fingers crossed

 

[RonDawg]

Really? you know this for a fact? :roll: Because it sure looks like to me that RIGHT were Sheldon St. starts there is the NEW HOV lane and right on the other side is the DIVIDING wall and the opposite traffic :roll: .. and that ONE SINGLE HOV lane just goes down past Hollywood Way where IT ENDS and merges BACK into the mainline fast lane....

and there's NO room because they have already expanded the 5 in that area. I don't see a HOV lane going through Burbank (the city didn't approve it).. nor hitting the 134/101 area..

And my buddy is the main foreman for CMC rebar (provider of all the projects) and he said no way... nothing has been approved 2023 maybe...

Rather than relying on your buddy who works for one of the subcontractors (as if Caltrans tells them everything, not just what they were specifically hired to do), how about going straight to the Caltrans website for LA County I-5 construction: http://i-5info.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/I-5-North-Brochure-3rdVersion_NB.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The list of projects:

• I-5/SR-14 HOV Connector (Complete)
• I-5 HOV SR-118 to I-210 (Complete)
• I-5 HOV SR-118 to SR-170 (80% complete)
• I-5 HOV SR-170 to Buena Vista Street (90% complete)
• I-5 HOV Magnolia Blvd to Buena Vista Street (2% complete)
• I-5 HOV SR-134 to Magnolia (50% complete)

As far as Burbank's stretch of I-5 getting an HOV lane added, if the city didn't approve it, then why has that stretch through downtown Burbank been ripped up for the last 4 or so years? Even the Google Street View image of that stretch of freeway, dated October 2011, shows temporary K-rails along the shoulder.

As far as why the southbound HOV lane suddenly ends at Hollywood Way, have you considered that perhaps that stretch of freeway construction is not yet complete (as I mentioned before) and that they are still working on adding a new lane or two? And that the 5/170 interchange is also still being worked on?

The 134 already has a continuous carpool lane through Burbank. In fact it's continuous from the 101 in Toluca Lake to the 5 in Glendale, then resumes again right after the 5 all the way until it joins the 210 in Pasadena. It's only right at I-5 where the lane ends, and less than a 1/4 mile later it resumes again. That's due to the design of the interchange, which has traffic coming off the north and southbound I-5 becoming the two left lanes (normally, traffic joins from the right). This interchange was built long before carpool lanes came into existence.

 

[TomT]

I drive this route almost daily. It is anything but 80% complete...

[*]I-5 HOV SR-118 to SR-170 (80% complete)

 

[RonDawg]

I drive this route almost daily. It is anything but 80% complete...

[*]I-5 HOV SR-118 to SR-170 (80% complete)

Yeah I've driven I-5 between the 134 and Santa Clarita rather frequently, and Caltrans' estimates of completion seem a bit optimistic. I remember seeing signs back in 2010 that estimated completion for the downtown Burbank stretch to be "2013" and that made me laugh :lol:

 

[JasonA]

These HOV lanes that you talk about in "Burbank" on the 5/134 (tech 101 ventura) etc.. have already been there FOREVER.. I was born and raised in Burbank and those lanes are not new :lol:

The 134 HOV lanes are going from the 101/134 transition through Glendale have been there since I was driving (I'm 40 almost)..

And if you know anything about Burbank, they are their own separate entity, state funding,,etc,etc,etc blah blah blah.. why do you think right where the boundary of Sun Valley is THE CONSTRUCTION STOPS :lol: and Glendale is... THE CONSTRUCTION STOPS ??? :lol:

Those #'s are a complete joke!! We blew out a tire last year on my wife's bday right at Western and there was NO PLACE TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THERE IS CONCRETE BOUNDARIES ON THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY UNTIL THE 134 TRANSITION!!

This started at Burbank Blvd... 9 month later.. only 1 off ramp has opened since then and the concrete boundaries still line the sides :roll:

If you go by a them.. then you must believe whatever the gov tells you! :lol:

 

[RonDawg]

These HOV lanes that you talk about in "Burbank" on the 5/134 (tech 101 ventura) etc.. have already been there FOREVER.. I was born and raised in Burbank and those lanes are not new :lol:

I know they aren't new. Never said they were. But you said that you didn't think the 134/101 was going to get HOV lanes. Yet the 134 has had them for many years.

The 134 HOV lanes are going from the 101/134 transition through Glendale have been there since I was driving (I'm 40 almost)..

I'm a bit older than you, and your memory is fuzzy, because as late as the 1990's those HOV lanes were not there yet. They certainly weren't when I lived in Burbank in the early 1990's.

And if you know anything about Burbank, they are their own separate entity, state funding,,etc,etc,etc blah blah blah.. why do you think right where the boundary of Sun Valley is THE CONSTRUCTION STOPS :lol: and Glendale is... THE CONSTRUCTION STOPS ??? :lol:

Burbank is not in charge of I-5 (nor the 134). Caltrans is.

Those #'s are a complete joke!! We blew out a tire last year on my wife's bday right at Western and there was NO PLACE TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THERE IS CONCRETE BOUNDARIES ON THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY UNTIL THE 134 TRANSITION!!

This started at Burbank Blvd... 9 month later.. only 1 off ramp has opened since then and the concrete boundaries still line the sides :roll:

I know, because I drive through there somewhat frequently. It seems like for about a year to year and a half they were making good progress. They re-did the Western Ave interchange and actually started to widen the bridge over the railroad tracks between Alameda and Olive/Angeleno. Then all of a sudden, it just stopped.

However, a quick Google search does not show anything that you allege about the city of Burbank not approving this project. They are not South Pasadena, who have spent millions of tax dollars fighting Caltrans over the 710 extension. If anything, Burbank has been cooperating with Caltrans, as this press release seems to indicate:

http://www.burbankca.gov/departments/community-development/planning-transportation/transportation-planning/empire-avenue-interchange" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It talks about connecting San Fernando Rd on one side of the freeway to Empire Ave on the other, which will require a whole new set of bridges and a bunch of other work. That's likely the reason why there's been no progress made south of Hollywood Way. But it will also make going to the airport a lot easier (their new parking structure is being built right off Empire Ave), and will relieve traffic pressure off the Five Points interchange for those going to Empire Center (if you lived in Burbank most of your life, I'm sure you can tell me why it's called "Five Points").

If you go by a them.. then you must believe whatever the gov tells you! :lol:

I'll believe their websites than over some guy who works as a foreman for one of the subcontractors, at least as far as the scope of the project. He does not see the whole picture; he only knows what his company was hired to do, and for what he was hired to supervise.

 

[thankyouOB]

METRO guy/gal reiterates at FBook that HOT lanes open to EVs with transponders to travel toll free on 2/23/14.

 

[nexusplexus]

https://www.metroexpresslanes.net/en/home/index.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Effective February 24, 2014, vehicles displaying a DMV issued White or Green Clean Air Vehicle Decal will be toll-free. All vehicles, including Clean Air Vehicles are required to have a FasTrak® transponder while travelling on the ExpressLanes. To obtain your toll-free trip, set your transponder to switch position 3 (3+ person carpool) prior to starting your trip. Clean energy vehicles that do not have a Clean Air Vehicle Decal must drive with their transponder set according to their vehicle occupancy.

 

[thankyouOB]

yippee skippee.

i got one and will be glad to have my hov access restored.
i still oppose the lexus lanes on equity grounds. However EVs, which help clean the air, deserve to get a boost during the ramp up period of sales. that is a good idea.

 

[RonDawg]

Any mention of waiving of the monthly "maintenance" fees for EVs? Or will we still have to make 4 trips per month?

 

[TomT]

No, the fees till seems to be intact. However, if you already have one transponder, the second is not charged...

Any mention of waiving of the monthly "maintenance" fees for EVs? Or will we still have to make 4 trips per month?

 

[thankyouOB]

LEXUS LANES, AKA - in LA -
HOT Lanes
now free for EVs with stickers and transponder.

starts today!!

maybe we should edit the headline, title; whatever.

 

[TomT]

But the transponder itself is not necessarily free unless it is your second one...

now free for EVs with stickers and transponder.

 

[thankyouOB]

the first transponder didnt cost anything. we had to send $32 to AAA to get it, and it came with $40 credit on the account.
you can get up to 3 or 4 transponders on one account just by asking for more.


dont get me wrong, i think the HOT Express Lane program is F'd up and BS. Single occupancy ICEs shouldn't be able to pay to play. this should be about reducing congestion and pollution, not letting the well-to-do or those with expense accounts dodge traffic.
clean air vehicles should get to ride in the lanes as an incentive. it may need to go away EVs become popular, of course.