The above motion is scheduled to be considered by the Metro Board of Directors this month — the motion seeks to launch environmental studies of adding ExpressLanes to the 105 freeway, with an initial segment between the 405 and 605 freeways. To be perfectly clear: the motion concerns more studies of the concept. A decision to go forward with such a project would come much later.
The 105 freeway, as you likely know, intersects with the existing ExpressLanes on the 110 freeway. The 110-105 junction includes exclusive on-ramps and off-ramps between the 110 ExpressLanes and the HOV lanes presently on the 105 — i.e. there’s no need for motorists to exit the ExpressLanes or HOV lanes when going between the two freeways.
The idea, at this time, would be to have two ExpressLanes in each direction. That would be done mostly by re-striping the freeway with some spot widening. Adding those extra lanes would require approvals from Caltrans, the state agency that oversees freeway operations.
Some background: the Metro Board in 2010 had asked Metro staff to study the possibility of adding ExpressLanes to the 405 freeway between the Orange County border and Los Angeles International Airport. At the time, Orange County was considering adding HOT lanes to the 405 but Orange County Transportation Authority officials have since rejected that notion and want to add a general lane instead to their portion of the 405. This Metro staff report explains the issues.
As a result, Metro has studied other alternatives and determined that adding ExpressLanes to the 105 and eventually the 605 would help provide an ExpressLanes corridor between Orange County and LAX. If that happens, it would be a phased approach and the Board is being asked to consider an initial segment on the 105 between the 405 and 605.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects
Before this, I’m interested to see what if any effect was on the ExpressLanes revenues once they implemented Molina’s motion to charge everyone $1 a month in “maintenance fees.”
Someone had better re-read the legal agreement that got the I-105 freeway built in the first place. I’m pretty sure that turning the HOV lanes into toll lanes would violate the spirit, if not the letter, of that agreement.
Point of information.
‘an initial segment on the 105 between the 405 and 605.’ That comprises ~95% of the entire length of the freeway and nearly all of the carpool lane.
That is quite some segment.
I think you are asking for trouble by making express toll lanes on the 105 freeway. It is jammed enough already. Decreasing the number of lanes on the freeway will just add to more congestion.