Caltrans is launching a survey seeking input on plans to convert the carpool lanes on sections of I-5 and I-805 into high-occupancy toll lanes, also called express lanes.
The change is prompted by growing congestion in the HOV lanes, which are often as slow as the rest of the freeway, said Allan Kosup, chief deputy director at Caltrans District 11. Kosup said typically 30% to 40% of HOV lane users are actually solo drivers cheating the system and worsening congestion for everyone on the road.
"We always knew at some point they were going to need to evolve from HOVs to express lanes, and so that's always been part of the vision," Kosup said. "We've determined now is the time to make that switch, just because we're not getting what we had hoped out of the HOVs — because of those violators."
The sections of the freeways due for changes are I-5 from SR-76 to University City, I-805 from Sorrento Valley to Miramar and I-805 from SR-94 to Chula Vista.
Express lanes are open to solo drivers willing to pay a toll, while carpoolers can typically use them for free or at a discount. The express lanes on I-15 in North County can cost solo drivers between $0.50 and $8, depending on congestion levels and distance traveled. Revenue from the tolls is spent on freeway maintenance and a rapid bus line that runs between Escondido and downtown San Diego.
Kosup said the toll levels will be set in collaboration with SANDAG, the county's transportation planning agency. The SANDAG board of directors is due to discuss the project on Friday.
Research has shown the success of express lanes depends on how easy it is for drivers to break the rules. Caltrans studied the express lanes on I-10 and I-110 in Los Angeles, where drivers can simply switch a transponder in their car between solo and carpool.
The study found many solo drivers kept their transponders switched to carpool to avoid paying the toll, and that the express lanes led to fewer carpools and lower passenger throughput on the corridors. Metro, the agency that operates the express lanes, has since begun testing cameras that help verify driver compliance.
"We see other states doing totally different applications to reduce the violators, and we want to learn from that," Kosup said. "Part of this implementation will be looking at state of the art technology in this corridor."
