OC Transportation Board Votes Against Addition Of New 405 Freeway Toll Lanes
ORANGE (CBSLA.com) — The Orange County Transportation Authority Monday voted down a proposal to add an additional toll lane on a 14-mile stretch of the I-405 Freeway.
An OCTA committee originally came up with three proposals that all suggest using a half-cent sales tax increase to build at least one new free lane in each direction from Long Beach Beach to Costa Mesa.
One of the proposals, however, would have created a high-occupancy toll lane that would be combined with the existing carpool lane.
The highest one-way toll would have been nearly $10, KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports.
OC Transportation Board To Vote On New 405 Freeway Toll Lanes
The $1.47 billion proposal also left room for a second toll lane to be built in the future.
The proposal was met with opposition from several OCTA board members, as well as the mayors of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Fountain Valley and Westminster.
"I've been out there talking with everyone in the community," one speaker said. "I've not heard one person say they want toll lanes."
Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) said he was prepared to introduce legislation that would bar the construction of a toll lane.
The OCTA will now to move forward with plans to construct an additional general-use lane in each direction.
