Los Angeles, CA

If you haven’t heard already, officials are mulling over the possibility of converting some carpool lanes on major freeways into a toll lane. Why? So frustrated single drivers who want to get where they’re going faster can pay to do so. While the proposal may sound like a good idea at first, earning revenue while clearing up some congestion on the perpetually packed freeways, most drivers are actually against this idea. It seems to be poorly thought out at best, and actually gives no breaks to carpoolers who have been using the special lanes for years, or for motorcycles or hybrid cars, who have also been given special access to the current fast lane.

When interviewed for the L.A. Times, most regular freeway drivers balked at the idea. Some carpoolers would even be willing to pay for the continued privilege of using the fast lane as needed, but not at the high prices that are being discussed, and certainly not on a daily basis. Others believe that if the city and state as a whole is really interested in cutting down gridlock and pollution from traffic, then they should put their money towards more — and more reliable — mass transit that is appealing enough to be a viable alternative to single driving.

I have to agree with that last statement. Having lived three years in San Francisco myself, I was tired of always being stuck on one freeway or another and relocated to a city where I could get around reliably without a car of my own. The car was sold in LA and we took a U-Haul up, and I rode MUNI and the occasional cab for three years. There were some definite downsides, like waiting for a bus in the rain, squeezed under a drafty, small bus shelter with fourteen other people, and the buses certainly didn’t run on time, but you had options. If one bus was slow or overpacked, you could get home at least two different ways, and I lived clear across town by the ocean, where the buses aren’t so far reaching. I was impressed at how LA’s Metro system had grown while I was gone (I still freak out every time I see a Metro where I’d never seen one before in my life), but there’s still a lot of improvement to be had in the greater LA area. There are still empty and abandoned bus lanes on freeways that could definitely stand to be used regularly, and if the Metro rail were cleaned up, I’m sure plenty more would take it. It came in handy to get to Union Station when I was taking Amtrak across the country a few years ago, but I was so worried about being raped by the bizarre, short little gangster molesting me that I couldn’t really enjoy the trip. C’mon LA, get your act together! If San Francisco can do it, you certainly can.

To read more about the proposed toll lanes, go here.