![]() If they pull up behind you and see that you're actually all by yourself, you can expect to see some flashing lights and receive at least a $400 ticket. CHP officers are patrolling those lanes, and they'll get a signal if you're using the carpool switch on your FasTrak tag. What happens if you try to cheat the system?īut if you're thinking of cheating the system, watch out. Then, look up and check the toll for the next zone, so you can decide if it's worth the money to stay in the lane, or move over to the right and save some cash. Even if the price on the digital signs goes up, you'll pay what the sign originally said until you get to the end of the current zone. Once you enter the lane, you've locked in your price. ![]() ![]() ![]() On a typical day, the average toll during peak commuting hours is about $7, all computed automatically, in real time, based on the traffic. So then, if the lane starts to empty out, the price goes down - as low as 50 cents. It can go as high as $15, at which point most drivers will say it's not worth it. When the express lane starts to fill up, the price starts to rise. That's why the tolls are always going up and down. But the theory only works in practice when the right balance of cars exists between the express lane and the regular lanes. That's the theory behind toll express lanes: a three-person carpool lane in which the leftover space gets sold off. Caltrans also studied the option of switching to a three-person carpool lane, but it turned out that would have the opposite problem: not enough cars would use it, and so the rest of the lanes - the "general-purpose lanes," in transportation speak - would get slower.īut what if they could sell off the extra room in that 3-person carpool lane to drivers who are really in a hurry? It turns out that would take enough cars out of the general-purpose lanes to make everyone go faster, and it would also mean less pollution from stop-and-go traffic. They could build new ones, but they'd be just as slow as regular lanes. The express lanes are operated differently than the system on most turnpike and expressway roads, where transponders are optional.Google Pauses San Jose Campus Construction, Remains Committed to City How is pricing for express lanes determined?īut how do they come up with the prices? That goes back to why the lanes were created in the first place: they're using the laws of supply and demand to make traffic move faster.Ĭaltrans did a study and found out the old two-person carpool lanes were just getting too congested. Obviously, there is going to be a learning curve in the beginning," Montes said. "If you accidentally enter an express lane, don't panic! Don't stop. Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol says drivers will not be fined initially, because the DOT expects there to be some confusion. "They need to pay attention to the signs," Lt. ![]() There's no cash, no toll booth, and nonpayment could land you a $25 fine. Instead of paying the 25 fine, your payment goes to the transponder and future tolls. " How to pay? Electronic only, meaning you need a transponder. If you might use the express lanes once in a while, you should consider buying a transponder, and look up your license plate in the same process, you might be able to attempt to pay the toll that way. Sources: "An FDOT spokeswoman explained that they have technology to send the costof the toll, plus a $25 fine, to the registered owner of the vehicle.This is different than on other turnpike roads, where drivers have theoption of using a transponder or not. It doesn't seem right that people will incur such a high charge from a little mistake on the interstate. How is this legal? I have Sunpass myself but remember when I first moved here I would often accidentally end up on a toll road because of poor or confusing signage. ![]()
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