State's future may be paved with fees

"California is famous for the freeway, and it has been a great thing," said Joel Kotkin, an author of books on demographics and planning. "But it is from a time when the state had a lot of money coming in. We are in a different situation now. You have to start looking at these other options. The alternatives are gridlock or spending the state into bankruptcy."

Others caution that international investment firms are accountable to their shareholders, not the driving public. They say California should seek alternatives that don't give such companies too much control.

Regardless, drivers are eventually likely to be reaching for their wallets more often.

"New construction is going to have to be financed at least in part by tolls," said Lowenthal. "Who will control them is an open question."

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evan.halper@latimes.com

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Taking a toll

Twenty-six states currently have toll roads, ranging in miles from nearly 600 to one.

*--* Miles of State toll road Oklahoma 596.7 New York 574.6 Pennsylvania 533.0 Ohio 392.2 Florida 385.1 New Jersey 359.9 Illinois 282.1 Kansas 237.4 Texas 163.6 Indiana 156.8 Massachusetts 138.2 Maine 106.2 New Hampshire 97.1 Kentucky 93.6 West Virginia 86.8 California 82.0* Virginia 57.9 Colorado 57.5 Delaware 56.7 South Carolina 23.5 Vermont 11.9 Nevada 6.4 Georgia 6.2 Alabama 6.0 Louisiana 1.5 Utah 1.0

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*Does not include the 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula.

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Existing California toll roads

Foothills Toll Road (28 miles): Southern section of 241, from east of Irvine to Oso Parkway south of Coto de Caza.

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Eastern Toll Road (24 miles): Links 91 Freeway to several inland Orange County communities. Includes all of 261, northern section of 241 and northern section of 133.

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San Joaquin Hills Toll Road (12 miles): Section of 73 Freeway linking Newport Beach to San Juan Capistrano.

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91 Freeway Express Lanes (10 miles): Toll lanes on section linking Costa Mesa Freeway to Orange/Riverside County line.

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I-15 Express Lanes (8 miles): Solo motorists can pay a fee to drive in the carpool lanes on an eight mile stretch of I-15 in San Diego County.

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Data as of 2005

Source: Federal Highway Administration. Graphics reporting by Scott Wilson