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[Los Angeles] Green and White Decals will no longer ride free in Pay Lanes

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by stevepea, Apr 26, 2018.

  1. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

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    Bad news, folks, for those of you who live and work in Southern California.
    With little fanfare, as of a few hours ago, Metro has just revoked their "ride free with green/white decals in the pay lanes" policy. They have their justifications, of course, but to me they ring hollow, and it seems like just a grab for more money when you see that the change will affect only the PAY carpool lanes, not the FREE ones.

    Unfortunately, more and more of the carpool lanes in SoCal already are -- or are in the process of being converted to -- pay lanes, including the I-110, I-10, 91... and when construction is finished, the 405 for all of Orange County.

    There was an article in today's LA Times about the meeting today (Thurs), though here's another article from the Daily News, from just about an hour ago, after the vote was taken:
    Clean air vehicles will no longer ride pay lanes for free in LA County – Daily News

    Vote was 10 to 1. Money talks, folks. Greed, greed, greed. Again, funny how it only affects the freeways where money is collected for the carpool lanes, not the free ones (yet). That speaks volumes to me about why the change is really being made, especially when the LA Times article from today mentioned that only 6% of drivers in the pay HOV lanes are decal drivers, whereas 30% are scofflaws doing it illegally. 6% doesn't make a tremendous difference in crowding (especially compared to the 30% doing it illegally), but at $15 each way in rush hour ($30/day round trip), that's a lot of $ $ $. Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching.

    I personally refuse to pay to use these lanes, period. Except for the refundable deposit, I haven't paid one penny to use these lanes ever, from the time they were built (returning my old transponder years ago after the old gold stickers no longer gave you free access) -- and will return my current transponder as soon as the new rules take effect after the summer.
     
    #1 stevepea, Apr 26, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2018
  2. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I'm sure Toyota, Hyundai et al & the rest of the fool sell Lobby will carve out a special exception for hydrogen, no matter how few people would be interested in driving a car without its multi trillion-dollar taxpayer funded infrastructure. Geez, we can't even get them to build infrastructure for plug-ins.

    .
     
    #2 hill, Apr 26, 2018
  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    We are converting to Lexus Lanes (we call 'em that because Virginia's idea is extreme high tolls if you want the HOV Lanes). Hybrids still OK for some for free HOV until about 2022 when we finish the Lexus lanes conversion. As we had HOV license plates instead of HOV stickers, some people still have the old HOV plates.
     
    #3 wjtracy, Apr 26, 2018
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Damn almost leased the prime last week for the metro lanes (turning in 2015 plug in by May 22), dodged a bullet.
     
    #4 JC91006, Apr 27, 2018
  5. KG350

    KG350 Junior Member

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    Hmm, so red stickers can still do Fastrak for free?

    Just making sure I'm reading correctly, but regular non-toll carpool lanes, such as the 605. Single rider is still good to go?
     
    #5 KG350, Apr 27, 2018
  6. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    You want some cheese to go with your wine?

    The toll roads have been a ripe off from day one!
     
    #6 orenji, Apr 27, 2018
  7. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    I sure am seeing ALOT of new Hydrogen cars (Toyota, Honda) roaming the Orange Couny roads.....makes you wonder if it's starting to catch on?!
     
    #7 orenji, Apr 27, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2018
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    No to fastrak by metro, regular carpool maintained by caltrans can still be used. Basically if you use the 10 and 110, you just got hosed

    Those lanes don't get enforced so you can be like the other 30%+ that puts the occupants to 3. Still free and if you get caught, it'll still be less than the $600+ a month for using those lanes.
     
    #8 JC91006, Apr 27, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2018
  9. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    Adding to the ka-ching factor is the fact that Fastrak transponders obtained from SoCal agencies charge a monthly fee (SoCal drivers, please correct me if this is not the case), whereas the ones obtained in NoCal (SF Bay Area) do not. Also, there is no deposit on the first 3 transponders in NoCal. But all Fastrak transponders are valid anywhere in California, regardless of which agency you got them from.
     
    #9 CharlesH, Apr 28, 2018
    stevepea likes this.
  10. JackTheNarrator

    JackTheNarrator Member

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    This is tough on owners that bought just to avoid the frustration of day-to-day traffic.
     
    #10 JackTheNarrator, Apr 29, 2018
  11. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

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    My transponder that is sold through the South Bay Expressway (125 freeway, one stretch of which has a toll) in San Diego does not have a monthly charge.
     
    #11 Insighter, May 17, 2018
  12. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

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    I don't know how someone who doesn't live in L.A. or Orange County is supposed to know which lanes are of which type. This is the first I've ever heard of any differences.
     
    #12 Insighter, May 17, 2018
    orenji likes this.
  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The toll lanes will say Toll Lane, carpool lanes won't say that. Best to stay away from anything that says toll?
     
    #13 JC91006, May 17, 2018
  14. Insighter

    Insighter Active Member

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    Oh, okay. I wouldn't presume it works on any toll roads. It sounded like these were meant to be HOV lanes.
     
    #14 Insighter, May 17, 2018
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