I Need to Get on the FasTrak

'Sup Dave,

I live up in the Bay Area. I signed up for FasTrak about a year ago,
and it has made for an easier driving experience, when using the toll
bridges up here. It really does save time at the Bay Bridge toll
plaza, where you can shave about 5 to 7 minutes off the 30 minute - 1
hour backup.

Also, I don't have to worry about fumbling for change/pulling out my
wallet to grab $3 at the last minute (because I forgot to, before I hit
the freeway), or making the mistake of not carrying $3 in my
wallet...ouch, I better go back to the nearest ATM. Time is money.

The other major reason I signed up for FasTrak was for the reason you
stated; I use the 91 express lanes maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I'm more
than happy to pay the $7.75 to bypass the 1 to 2 hours of congestion.
I also use the other toll freeways in Orange County (especially the 73
freeway; even when I-5 is moving along at the speed limit, because I
think it's only $2.50 during non peak hours, anyway), and whenever I'm
driving along the I-15 Express Lanes in San Diego, I pay the toll and
cruise at 70 MPH, without having to worry about a bunch of assholes
tailgating me. In fact, I'm driving down to So Cal again on Wednesday,
and I'll probably be using the 73 on Friday morning to connect with the
133, on the way to Laguna Beach (from Los Angeles).

Don't get me wrong; I'd rather not pay the tolls. And I'm certainly
not the wealthiest person around. But, personally, I don't mind
spending the extra $12 (average) per week, while I'm down in Orange
County, if it results in easier commuting, when and where it's
available. As I already stated; no cost to drive the I-5 (and I-405)
at 70 MPH with thousands of vehicles surrounding you, or $2.50 to drive
a virtually empty 73 freeway, where you can relax and actually take in
the scenery. I'll gladly pay the $2.50 (or whatever it costs). :-)


-Brent

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> I live and work in the OC, and never have to commute via a freeway, so
> I never bothered to sign up for a FasTrak trasponder account. They
> either have minimum monthly charges or a hefty up-front fee, so it
> never seemed like it would be worth the money. Well, I had an
> experience yesterday that changed my mind - I might use a FasTrak only
> once every couple of months, but when I need it, I need it BAD.
>
> After dropping my wife off at the airport yesterday, I decided to take
> a little drive out to the Outlet Mall in Lake Elsinore. So I hopped
> onto the 55 and headed north to catch the 91. Traffic on the 55 was
> moderate, but moving at full freeway speeds (75 MPH +). However, as
> soon as we entered the transition ramp to the eastbound 91, BOOM! All
> lanes came to a screeching halt!!
>
> Mind you, this was not rush hour - this was 1:30 PM on a Saturday
> afternoon!
>
> It took over half an hour to travel 5.9 miles to the Weir Canyon exit.
> By the time I reached the exit for the 241, I'd had enough; I
> abandoned the trip to the outlet mall, hopped on the 241, and was back
> home in 10 minutes.
>
> As an aside, it never ceases to amaze me how people commute on the 91
> every workday, through rush hour traffic that is even worse than what
> I experienced yesterday! I just can't understand why anyone would
> voluntarily subject themselves to that kind of torture...
>
> Anyway, while I was mired in gridlock, I noticed that the cars in the
> toll lanes were flying past us like we were standing still (OK, we
> WERE standing still). It looked *exactly* like this video:
>
> http://www.91expresslanes.com/virtdrive.html
>
> I would have gladly paid the toll to use those wide-open express
> lanes. Hell, I would have even paid double, like the non-transponder
> users do on the Chicago Skyway. But unlike the 241 and 261 toll roads,
> the 91 express lanes are FasTrak ONLY, so I was screwed. A
> questionable business decision, to be sure, but that's the reality.
>
> So it looks like I have to bite the bullet and sign up for a FasTrak
> transponder. I only hope they keep the pricing on the express lanes
> high enough so that they remain usable. Judging from what I saw
> yesterday, their congestion pricing scheme seems to be doing a good
> job - the eastbound toll at 1:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon is only
> $2.60 (cheap by SoCal tollway standards), and yet relatively few
> people were willing to pay it. Fine by me! If those idiots want to sit
> in 10 MPH traffic for an hour to save $2, more power to 'em.
> --
> What the heck, I'll play too.
> - Dave