Caltrans and California Highway Patrol will also have input into the designs of Highways 85 and 101. And some of the tolls could be used for other transportation improvements in the 85 and 101 corridors, including bus and other services, according to the VTA.Ī final vote by the VTA board on the designs of the express lanes will take place later this year. State and federal funding for more than a $4.3 billion list of improvements has not materialized, VTA officials have stated.Ĭonsidering the disparity between drivers' needs and financing, more efficient use of existing roads would help solve part of the problem. New freeways will only increase by 5.6 percent in capacity. Santa Clara County estimates a 35-percent growth in population and a 22-percent increase in jobs - 513,000 new residents and 430,000 new jobs - by 2035, according to the VTA.īut funding for transportation improvements is projected at only a fraction of that amount. A growing population could add to already existing congestion, and express lanes could alleviate future traffic problems, agency officials stated. VTA claims the lanes will help lower pollution by reducing the number of vehicles stuck idling in traffic. In a study by engineers at the University of Central Florida, some drivers in Orange County, Calif., reported a 40-minute cut in their commute times when using the express lanes on a 10-mile toll road. Those "smart lanes" are due to be completed by 2010, according to VTA. Alameda County is also installing express lanes to Interstate highways 680 and 580. San Diego, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle and Salt Lake City are among cities having added express-lane programs. The VTA board approved the project in December.Įxpress lanes have been popular and successful in other parts of the country, according to the VTA. Net revenue between 2015 to 2035 could reach $1.2 billion in future-year dollars, Loft said. The project cost is estimated at $496 million - $96 million for Highway 85 and $400 million for Highway 101. The carpool lanes can accommodate up to 1,650 vehicles per hour, while maintaining a high level of service," she wrote in an e-mail. For example, on SR 85 the carpool-lane volumes vary between 600 and 1,000 vehicles per hour. "The existing carpool lanes are underutilized. The express or "smart" lane program could double the number of cars allowed to travel in the carpool lanes according to Jennie Loft, VTA spokeswoman. The toll would adjust so that traffic maintains a minimum of 55 mph, according to VTA. An overhead antenna would read the car's FasTrak transponder and deduct the fee. ![]() Electronic signs would display the toll, which would vary, for solo drivers using FasTrak. ![]() The lanes would be separated from regular lanes by a double-yellow line. Highway 101 might have two express lanes in each direction, which would stretch 41 miles from Morgan Hill to Whipple Road in Redwood City, according to the VTA. The Highway 85 express lanes will run its entire 24-mile length and would open in 2012. Toll rates have not been determined, but similar express-lane projects across the country have fees ranging from $1 to $10, based on time of day, the distance driven and the level of traffic in the express lane.Ĭars with two or more occupants, motorcycles, transit buses and eligible hybrid vehicles can still drive in the lanes for free, according to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which will set the toll price. ![]() Highway 101, carpool lanes will be converted into express toll lanes, allowing solo drivers with FasTrak transponders to drive in the fast lane at any time. Under a plan for State Highway 85 and U.S. Cardboard "passengers" who ride with carpool-lane cheaters could become obsolete when the freeway lanes are converted to allow solo drivers.
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