Express Lanes (insurance, subdivision, safety)

[thefunkyone]

Why does LA not have these? Whenever I drive through Chicago they come in so handy.



For those of you who might not be familiar with this concept. Express lanes are essentially 2 or more lanes built next to the regular lanes on a freeway, similar to car pool lanes but anyone can use them. Also, express lanes are divided by a concrete barrier and every few miles there is an opening for you to get back to the regular lanes to take a local exit.

They are perfect for zipping through one part of the city to another without having to get backed up in the congestion from people getting off and on the freeway.

[Narfcake]

Why LA doesn't have any? Ummm ... where do you want to build them? The busy LA freeways have maxed out the land already ... it's either building up (and good luck getting past the NIMBYs) or tear down a bunch of neighboring structures (an even less popular option).

[thefunkyone]

Originally Posted by Narfcake

Why LA doesn't have any? Ummm ... where do you want to build them? The busy LA freeways have maxed out the land already ... it's either building up (and good luck getting past the NIMBYs) or tear down a bunch of neighboring structures (an even less popular option).

It would be fairly easy actually. Eliminate the car pool lane and take over the far left lane, turning both into express lanes.


A study would have to be done on the freeways to see how far people usually drive before getting off at a local exit. But i'd venture a guess that a lot of people drive several miles before wanting to get off, those are the people that would be using the express lanes.

[BRinSM]

there's actually a plan to do this on the 10 east of downtown and the 110 south of downtown. i know many people aren't too happy about it though, the media was using the term "Lexus lanes". it's difficult to change the status quo.

[1200RT]

I would support this. Almost all of my local driving is on surface streets .... I only get on the highways when traveling 20+ miles.

[veg8]

Originally Posted by thefunkyone

Why does LA not have these? Whenever I drive through Chicago they come in so handy.

For those of you who might not be familiar with this concept. Express lanes are essentially 2 or more lanes built next to the regular lanes on a freeway, similar to car pool lanes but anyone can use them. Also, express lanes are divided by a concrete barrier and every few miles there is an opening for you to get back to the regular lanes to take a local exit.

They are perfect for zipping through one part of the city to another without having to get backed up in the congestion from people getting off and on the freeway.

How's this different than our carpool lanes now, which are restricted to carpoolers only but are still backed-up during rush hour? The carpool lanes have restricted exits and some freeways even have concrete barriers/cones to prevent going in/out but where this doesn't exist there are a double solid yellow lines which are illegal to cross but of course no one follows this

Section 21655.8 of the California Motor Vehicle Code:

21655.8. (a) Except as required under subdivision (b), when exclusive or preferential use lanes for high-occupancy vehicles are established pursuant to Section 21655.5 and double parallel solid lines are in place to the right thereof, no person driving a vehicle may cross over these double lines to enter into or exit from the exclusive or preferential use lanes, and entrance or exit may be made only in areas designated for these purposes or where a single broken line is in place to the right of the exclusive or preferential use lanes.
(b) Upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle displaying a red light or siren, as specified in Section 21806, a person driving a vehicle in an exclusive or preferential use lane shall exit that lane immediately upon determining that the exit can be accomplished with reasonable safety.
(c) Raised pavement markers may be used to simulate painted lines described in this section.

On the 91 East they have a toll road (10 miles long) where the carpool lanes usually are and that gets so backed up that the rates are now $9.95 (http://www.91expresslanes.com/tollschedules.asp - broken link) going east on peak day (Thurs @4pm) just so you can travel at good pace...just read this is highest toll rate per mile ($1/mile) in country.

[Fontucky]

One late afternoon last week, I was WB on the 91 in the regular lanes and I was blowing by the poor suckers in the $$$ lanes.

[wrcousert]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

One late afternoon last week, I was WB on the 91 in the regular lanes and I was blowing by the poor suckers in the $$$ lanes.

It's free if you have at least three in the vehicle, or a disabled license plate. The disabled placards won't work.

[readymade]

Out of curiosity (and I don't mean to sound insensitive), but why do disabled people get to drive in the carpool lane? Parking spaces, I get. But what does being disabled have to do with carpooling?

Originally Posted by wrcousert

It's free if you have at least three in the vehicle, or a disabled license plate. The disabled placards won't work.

[readymade]

So, the whole disabled people driving in the carpool lane thing sounded weird to me, so I looked it up. This claims a single person with a disabled plate can NOT drive in the carpool lane.

https://www.carinsurance.com/kb/content16717.aspx

I find it funny that the person asked about a service dog and the reply mentioned a pregnant woman (saying something like it was a grey area). Shouldn't the carpool lane mean that it's 2 (or 3) people of driveable age? Isn't that the point of carpooling? I don't think kids, babies, fetuses, service animals, mannequin's, etc... should count. It should be people who would normally all be driving separate cars but who are instead all in the same car. Right?