VALUE PRICING FROM PALMDALE TO LOS ANGELES

Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is embarking on an innovative approach to provide highway users options to reduce commuting time. Specifically, SCAG is evaluating the impacts of implementation of high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes along a 35-mile stretch of State Route (SR) 14 in Los Angeles County, one of the most congested freeway corridors in the county, now and in future years. As a means of providing free-flow conditions to both high occupancy vehicles (HOVs) and non-HOVs willing to pay a fee, an additional lane would be added to the existing HOV lane, creating a two-lane HOT facility in each direction. Despite active regional hostility toward HOV lanes and current controversy over local Express Lanes, public outreach indicates the corridor communities are willing to consider the concept. Due to length of the facility, several innovative operational concepts are being addressed. First, intermediate access points are being proposed at approximately 3-mile intervals along the facility. Since the concept is to have the HOVs use the HOT facility for free, special toll verification areas would be constructed between each access point to properly segregate HOVs from toll paying non-HOVs, thereby simplifying enforcement. Finally, to properly balance demand along the length of the 35-mile facility, toll rates along the facility would vary based on the level of usage within the HOT lanes with rate variations along the corridor's segments. The features of this project will be useful for practitioners and agencies considering value pricing and HOT lane projects in their area.