Carpool Lanes

The elites of California freeways — carpoolers and hybrid owners — were adjusting to diverging fortunes as new rules of the road brought better commutes for some and worse commutes for others. Beginning Friday, owners of hybrid cars were kicked out of carpool lanes and forced to crawl to work with the rest of the solo drivers. Though the change is lamented by hybrid owners, some carpoolers are cheering. Transportation experts say the shift could reduce traffic in carpool lanes at a time when some of the lanes are becoming more congested.

Angelenos like their freeways to be free (although they differ on what it means for highway access to be free). That's the sentiment expressed by the half a dozen reader responses to USC public policy professor Peter Gordon's letter last Saturday urging motorists to be patient with Los Angeles' experiment in congestion pricing on the 10 and 110 freeways. Gordon's lengthy letter discussed a Times article reporting that while traffic on the 110 toll lanes has sped up since their conversion from solely carpool lanes, it has slowed on the rest of the lanes.

Officials broke ground on what will be Los Angeles County's first freeway toll lanes, taking a gamble that drivers will be willing to pay significant sums to avoid rush-hour traffic. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other officials on Wednesday hailed the project as a major improvement to L.A.'s clogged freeway system. Officials plan to convert a total of 25 miles of existing carpool lanes on the 10 and 110 freeways into high-occupancy toll lanes. Carpools and buses will be able to use the lanes for free, while solo drivers will pay up to $1.40 a mile during peak rush-hour traffic.

Re "Free way's the slow way," April 10 It's a pity we call them "freeways. " Free access means rationing by crowding rather than by price (the way almost everything else is rationed). Everyone gripes about crowding and, as some of those quoted in this article reveal, they also gripe about pricing. Let's keep some things in mind. First, if we want to avoid the pricing versus crowding trade-off, we have to build more capacity. This is very expensive and also raises hackles.

The economy must truly be as good as they say, because more and more people are risking a $271 fine for violating the rules on getting in and out of carpool lanes. CHRISTINA WALDECK Torrance

A bill by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Sliver Lake) that would allow solo drivers to use carpool lanes during non-peak hours on the 134 Freeway in Glendale and Burbank has been amended to possibly include other local freeways. Gatto's bill, AB 405, passed its first hurdle Monday after it was approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee on a 15-1 vote. It was originally drafted to only apply to the section of the 134 Freeway, but was amended to include other roads in Los Angeles County that are deemed appropriate by the California Department of Transportation , including the 210 Freeway.

Last year, carpool lanes on a portion of the 110 Freeway were converted to toll lanes. Preliminary data show average travel speeds have increased in the lanes formerly reserved for carpoolers, but traffic has slowed on the rest of the freeway. So for solo drivers paying up to $15.40 per trip, the new toll lanes are providing a faster commute. More than 135,000 motorists have purchased FasTrak transponders since the toll lanes opened. Officials have collected more than $3 million in tolls along an 11-mile stretch of the Harbor Freeway, south of downtown.

Toll lanes on the 110 and 10 freeways are Los Angeles County's first attempt at "congestion pricing," charging solo drivers varying prices to use carpool lanes. The fees for non-carpool drivers increase as regular traffic lanes become clogged. Traveling in the toll lanes can shave two to three minutes a mile off rush-hour trips, officials say, and are seen as a way to maximize the efficiency of a largely built-out freeway network. Join us at 9 a.m. as we discuss the county's toll experiment and what the plans are for the future with Times reporter Laura Nelson.

Ford Motor Co. had some good news for California drivers Thursday: Its Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid had been approved for use in the state's carpool lanes. The Fusion plug-in is the third Ford vehicle currently sold that is eligible for the much-coveted HOV sticker, which allows owners to use their cars in the carpool lanes with only a single passenger. Ford's all-electric Focus EV and it C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid are also eligible for the stickers. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker said it's one of only two companies offering three vehicles that are HOV eligible.

California Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield says that green car buyers deserve a bigger reward than they are getting for helping to reduce emissions. That's why the San Fernando Valley lawmaker wants to extend an existing perk for 10 more years. Drivers of electric, natural gas- and hydrogen-powered cars can already ignore occupancy requirements and drive in a carpool lane or pay a toll. But that benefit will expire in 2015. The Blumenfield bill--AB 266--was introduced this week with the goal of extending the clean car perk until 2025.

A Los Angeles-area lawmaker wants to extend free access to some carpool lanes for Californians driving clean-energy cars. The legislation, written by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills), applies to vehicles running on electricity, hydrogen or natural gas. Under legislation sponsored by Blumenfield last year, a driver behind the wheel of one of these cars doesn't need to meet an occupancy requirement to drive in a carpool lane or pay a toll. However, that benefit is set to expire in 2015.

After The Times' recent articles on Los Angeles County's first-ever ExpressLanes project (" L.A. County enters era of freeway toll lanes "; " L.A. County toll lanes get smooth start, despite some grumbling" ), some details deserve clarification about how this innovative new approach will reduce congestion on two of the region's most heavily traveled highways. The Metro ExpressLanes project is designed to improve travel times by expanding and enhancing transit options along the Harbor Freeway and the San Bernardino Freeway.

Some people are pretty good at being stuck in traffic. They gab on the phone, listen to music, chalk up the inconvenience as inevitable. Not I. Generally speaking, I sweat, curse and think miserable thoughts. And I'm on the road a lot, which has been known to sour my disposition. Once, I hired a day laborer to travel with me so I could use the carpool lanes and ease my burden. I still think there ought to be day laborer stations along the highway, because everybody wins, but for some reason the idea hasn't caught on. Last week, I went with a different option.