ExpressLanes use continues to rise on 10 and 110

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(pdf here)

Lots of interestingness in the above report that covers the fiscal year from July 1, 2016, through June 30 of this year. The ExpressLanes give single-occupant vehicles the chance to use the HOV lanes for a toll; carpoolers generally travel for free.

Some brief history: the Metro ExpressLanes opened on the 110 in late 2012 and on the 10 in early 2013. It was the first time tolls were collected on area freeways, meaning it was a mildly controversial move even though similar lanes have become increasingly common elsewhere in the U.S., including Orange County.

Some stats that caught my eye from the new report:

•The number of vehicle trips in the ExpressLane continue to rise to 41.3 million in the past fiscal year.

•About 62 percent of those trips were on the 110 and 38 percent on the 10.

•Average vehicle speeds have dipped slightly on both the 10 and 110 compared to two years ago — but remain faster than the general purpose lanes.

•The biggest time savings were in the mornings when ExpressLane users could save up to 15 minutes on the westbound 10 and 13.4 minutes on the northbound 110. Afternoon time savings weren’t as dramatic.

•48 percent of those who used the ExpressLanes on the 110 were single-occupant vehicles compared to 46 percent on the 10. The rest were carpoolers.

•The ExpressLanes generated almost $249 million in revenue since its inception. That’s money that will be pumped back into other transportation projects.

The report was discussed in the Metro Board’s Ad Hoc Congestion, Highway and Roads Committee on Thursday, Sept. 21. Click to item 7.

Anything else you find interesting, readers and ExpressLanes customers?

In time, there will be more ExpressLanes in our region. The Measure M ballot measure provides funding to add ExpressLanes on the 105 freeway between the 405 and 605 and on the 405 over the Sepulveda Pass. Both projects are slated for completion in the late 2020s under the Measure M expenditure plan.

To sign up for an ExpressLanes account, please click here.

Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects

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12 replies ›

  2. Please STOP GIVING TOLL FREE to driver Metro, what a stupid act. Seriously many drivers just switch to HOV 3 and get toll free all the time, even they do not have three people in the car. Also it is inexpensive for drivers, at least for riders who park and ride ($2.50×2 + $2 parking = $7/day). If Metro wants to boost up the Silver line and other commuter express routes ridership and encourage people to ride the bus, just simply takes off the free toll HOV option and SINIFICANTLY increase the toll rate. I would suggest from (min $0.50 per mile to max $1.75 per mile), no exception for carpool vehicles, which means everyone has to pay the same, fair toll to travel on the expresslines. The only exception for free toll would be buses, gov. vehicles but except utility trucks, and registered Metro vanpool vehicles.

  3. Can the monthly “maintenance fee” -=finally=- be killed off, not just suspended? I won’t get the transponder if the fee is still technically around. I would love to use it for work (as an HOV) and doing the airport run (as an HOV) again. At one point I was using the 110 HOV lane ~10 times (single direction trips) a month. With that removed it just takes more time.

  5. Great news. When will the Orange Line Busway be opened up to paying automobiles like the El Monte and Harbor Busways were?

  6. Any insight into the operating costs so we can subtract those out to get a rough net income for these lanes? Relatedly, where does this money go–to Metro’s general fund? That’s a lot of revenue and it would be great if some of that could be directed to speeding up some of the rail line construction.

  7. As is usual, no indication of the effect on non-HOT speeds, ridership, etc. that was supposed to be part of the study but is never reported. The precipitous Silver Line ridership drop is also troubling.