Low Income Commuter

Low Income Commuter Fact Sheet (Printer-friendly PDF)

Income-Based Equity Impacts of Congestion Pricing

Quality, Value, Choice

The ExpressLanes project offers transportation choices that respond to people’s differing needs and circumstances – express transit, vanpools/carpools, and the single driver. It is important that these choices be accessible to everyone. As a result, the ExpressLanes project addresses equity with the following strategy:

Before the Tolls Begin

Increased transit service
Assess the impact to low income commuters and identify mitigation

During the Toll Operation

For transit users on I-10 and I-110:

• Free access to ExpressLanes
• Increased transit service on I-10 and I-110
• Station improvements on I-10 and I-110
• Generate toll credits

For vanpoolers:

• Free access to ExpressLanes
• Goal of 100 new vanpools formed for I-10 and I-110

For single drivers

• Choice to access ExpressLanes for a toll
• Toll credits for low income groups

After the One Year Demonstration

Excess toll revenue must be reinvested in transit or carpool lane improvements in the corridor where generated

Upon completion of the demonstration project, the station improvements and new buses remain in the corridor

Metro and Caltrans must make a report to the State Legislature by December 31, 2012. The report shall include, but not be limited to:

• A summary of the demonstration program
• A survey of its users
• The impact on carpoolers
• Revenues generated
• How transit service or alternative modes of transportation were impacted
• Any potential effect on traffic congestion in the HOT lane and in the neighboring lanes
• The number of toll paying vehicles that utilized the HOT lanes
• Any potential reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions that are attributable to congestion
  reduction resulting from the HOT lane demonstration project
• A description of the mitigation measures on the affected communities and commuters in the
  demonstration program