This Month
SANDAG newsletter
provides information
on key projects & services
New segment of I-15 Express Lanes to open in March
FasTrak changes to distance-based dynamic pricing
Be a Bike to Work Day
pit stop sponsor!
Diamond Awards recognize local ridesharing leaders
Tap into the
SANDAG Service Bureau
Study helps address
prisoner reentry issues
Actions from the January Board of Directors meeting
FasTrak changes to distance-
based dynamic pricing
When another 3.5 miles of new Express Lanes open on I-15 in March 2009, a new distanced-based dynamic pricing system also will launch.
Under the state-of-the-art new system, FasTrak customers accessing the Express Lanes will pay a toll based on the distance they travel in the lanes and a rate per mile for their entry location.
Every few minutes, the new system will recalculate the per-mile toll rate based on the level of traffic in the I-15 corridor, making sure traffic flows freely in the Express Lanes.
The toll rate you see on the signs located just before each of the entrances to the Express Lanes will provide the minimum toll that you can expect to pay if you enter the facility regardless of your eventual exit location. The signs also will advise you of one or more possible fares for longer trips to upcoming freeway interchanges, such as State Routes 56 or 163.
If you are traveling to a destination somewhere between the first possible exit point and the next major freeway interchange, you can expect to pay a toll that falls between the minimum and the toll to go all the way to the interchange.
The new FasTrak system is the most advanced in the world. A sophisticated identification system using your transponder tracks where and when you enter and exit the lanes, automatically calculates your toll, and flags violators for enforcement by the California Highway Patrol.
No more Beeps!
The new FasTrak equipment will no longer cause your transponder to beep. When the new dynamic, distanced-based FasTrak system is launched next month, your transponder will no longer make a beeping sound when it is read by the system.
Navigating the New System
The new Express Lanes on I-15 should look familiar to FasTrak customers, but with a few new conveniences. The new 4.5-mile segment that opened in September – and another 3.5 miles coming into service in a few weeks – will have multiple entrances and exits. The new lanes north of SR 56 also will feature direct access ramps, new transit stations, and an upgraded FasTrak “dynamic tolling” system
Here are some simple instructions for using the new lanes:
- As you approach the entrance, look for the large toll sign displaying the toll for FasTrak customers.
- The new Express Lanes are equipped with tolling technology that is compatible with the existing system. Simply display your existing FasTrak transponder whenever you drive solo in the Express Lanes, and the system will automatically deduct the toll from your prepaid account.
- After you have passed the sign, look for the break in the protective barrier that separates the regular highway lanes from the Express Lanes. Follow the pavement markings through the transition into the Express Lanes.
- When you are ready to exit the Express Lanes, look for another break in the barrier and follow the lane striping into the regular highway lanes. Maintain a safe speed as you merge back into traffic.
- Direct access ramps – another new feature – allow users to enter and exit the Express Lanes from the transit stations along I-15. The transit stations provide parking for carpoolers/vanpoolers and transit riders.
- The new Express Lanes north of SR 56/Ted Williams Parkway will operate 24/7 in both directions. They will seamlessly feed into the existing Express Lanes southbound during morning hours and northbound during afternoon hours. The existing Express Lanes will continue to operate during the limited weekday hours of 5:30 a.m. to noon southbound, and 1 to 7 p.m. northbound.
Project Manager
Derek Toups, Associate Regional Planner
Phone: (619) 699-1907; E-mail: dto@sandag.org