Fuck highway driving. I'd rather be unemployed than deal with that shit. I'll ride public transportation or a quick ride in the car.
awwwwwww........They've got 'em in the Bay Area CA, too. I think it's a joke. They already taxed us to put the lanes in, now they want to reduce overall traffic flow to allow an elite few that can afford to pay for it. Now the poor have to sit in even MORE traffic trying to get by...
I use a helicopter!!Fuck highway driving. I'd rather be unemployed than deal with that shit. I'll ride public transportation or a quick ride in the car.
I use a helicopter!!
I think it's bullshit money grab, and hypocritical of the whole idea of HOV Lane in the first place.
Hey Pete6032, we're already paying for the roads with registration fees and gasoline tax. Stop being a victim.
I have no problems with car pool lanes for ... wait for it ... for people car pooling, but when they want to charge single drivers to use it what you really have is a wealthy mans expressway. Poor people can't afford it and have to wait in stop and go traffic whereas a rich guy has no problem paying the toll and gets preferential treatment.
What needs to happen is for Socal to actually develop decent public transit and for people to use it, but that's asking a lot from a Californian...
Brian
Instead of fixing the traffic issue, they choose to monetize it. Go figure...
They tried to put another fast lane in socal right thru the 405 and everyone in the area is against it. Residents voted against it with prejudice!
In New England toll roads are common. We're transitioning to completely removing toll booths/cash and replacing with transponder only roads. Accidents will still effect everyone in the affected area. Tolls have no noticeable effect on traffic. This is likely because anyone who's using it, needs to.
If the government widened the road in order to make an HOV lane along a non-toll road. They would 'regrettably' be forced to make the whole thing a toll road even after they raised every resident's taxes. Trust me, the Mass Turnpike is one of the most expensive highways in the country requiring something like a million dollars to maintain each mile of the 138 mile road every year. Taxes, tolls and gas tax. I hate my state's addiction to money.
I have no problems with car pool lanes for ... wait for it ... for people car pooling, but when they want to charge single drivers to use it what you really have is a wealthy mans expressway. Poor people can't afford it and have to wait in stop and go traffic whereas a rich guy has no problem paying the toll and gets preferential treatment.
What needs to happen is for Socal to actually develop decent public transit and for people to use it, but that's asking a lot from a Californian...
Brian
You've never had the pleasure of driving on the Southeast Expressway into or out of Boston? It has a reversible dual HOV lane that switches direction with the "rush hour". Neither the HOV lanes nor the SE Expressway have tolls.
I hate the Mass Pike. Drove from Weston into Cambridge a few months ago, for the first time in 25 years, those bastards jacked up the tolls from maybe 75¢ to $2.50
OP: How can anyone be charged a toll on a FREEway?
They've done the same thing with all plans to widen the 5 freeway in San Diego which is now the WORST freeway in the San Diego to commute on. From Oceanside to the 805 is a parking lot for 2-3 hours every morning and every afternoon.
How would you fix the traffic issue? It's not an easy problem to deal with.
I'm not a fucking civil engineer. I have a problem with it when they're our roads and yet they monetize it on top of what we already pay in taxes. Will their gains payback to the residents? Hell no. That's the problem, they aren't fixing shit just making money off of it. It's also sickening watching five guys drive thru fasttrak while the other lanes are jam packed. BS.
WHAAA! BTW, they aren't "your roads" and they aren't my roads either. They are a compromise that we as a society deem the best solution to a particular problem.
Fastrak lanes are actually quite busy during the commuting hours here.
A carpool lane violation is $490 here. And the one I commute on is divided from the main freeway by concrete barriers so once you enter them you're in them for a couple miles.
So, stop using them?
I guess I'm being a victim because I want to get to my job as quickly as possible so I can get back home to my family as quickly as possible?
Yeah, my commute isn't ideal. I've had much shorter commutes and loved it... even commuted by bicycle when possible.
Moving isn't an option. I guess if they made them HOV only I'd probably ride the motorcycle more and take the car less. Haven't really been looking for work closer but that might be an option too.
I'm not a fucking civil engineer. I have a problem with it when they're our roads and yet they monetize it on top of what we already pay in taxes. Will their gains payback to the residents? Hell no. That's the problem, they aren't fixing shit just making money off of it. It's also sickening watching five guys drive thru fasttrak while the other lanes are jam packed. BS.
You may rightfully have an objection to how funds are allocated by your government, but you don't get to whine about expenditures from governmental coffers without acknowledging income that returns to government coffers to offset utilization of the assets originally funded out of government coffers. If "you" are paying for those roads, then Fastrak customers are "paying you back" for privileged usage of those lanes.
Wait, what?
In most cases, they're taking existing infrastructure that's paid for with taxes and fees, and slap a toll on it. What the hell are you talking about?
Where does that toll go?
Remember when I said this...Who fucking knows. Pensions? More ridiculous social programs? Handouts? We don't have revenue problems, we have spending problems.
You may rightfully have an objection to how funds are allocated by your government, but you don't get to whine about expenditures from governmental coffers without acknowledging income that returns to government coffers to offset utilization of the assets originally funded out of government coffers. If "you" are paying for those roads, then Fastrak customers are "paying you back" for privileged usage of those lanes.
Shit, I don't know, but all I know is that they keep raising taxes and fees, on top of taxes and fees, and keep inventing new ways to money grab while some brain dead citizens just bend over and take it. Some even vote for it every freaking time they put some dumb shits on the ballot.
You may rightfully have an objection to how funds are allocated by your government, but you don't get to whine about expenditures from governmental coffers without acknowledging income that returns to government coffers to offset utilization of the assets originally funded out of government coffers. If "you" are paying for those roads, then Fastrak customers are "paying you back" for privileged usage of those lanes.
When they originally specified the registration fees and gasoline taxes that we Californians have to pay, the offset was factored in. You can't just keep going back and raise taxes, or fees, or invent new ways to fleece your citizens because you need more money in your coffer to fund your other bullshits.
Same deal with the bridge tolls, the cost was calculated so that the investment in the bridge would be paid off in certain amount of time, based on a certain amount of tolls per vehicle. Then, after the bridge was paid for, let's raise the tolls because, well, maintenance. Then, let's raise the tolls some more because, well, they need to subsidize other programs. Then, let's raise the tolls some more because, well, it would get them more money (I kid you not, that was actually a reason).
And what the hell do you mean by "Fastrak customers are 'paying you back' for privileged usage of those lanes"? Are you sure you're not drunk? You normally are pretty level headed. Not sure if posting drunk or not.