The Los Angeles Congestion Reduction Demonstration projects evaluated tolling, technology, transit, and travel demand management strategies.
Los Angeles, California, United States
Los Angeles Congestion Reduction Demonstration ExpressLanes Program: National Evaluation Report
Summary Information
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metro area is home to 13 million people and has the second highest population density in the United States. The region has the most extensive freeway system in the United States, in addition to a comprehensive public transit system. The area is one of the most congested areas in the United States.
The Los Angeles (LA) Congestion Reduction Demonstration (CRD) projects included:
Tolling: Converting HOV lanes and restriping created dynamically-priced HOT lanes; the 11-mile ExpressLanes on I-110 opened on November 10, 2012 and the 14-mile ExpressLanes on I-10 opened on February 23, 2013. Tolls range from $0.25 to $1.40 per hour, depending on congestion, paid with an electronic FasTrak transponder.
Parking Management: LA Express Park is an integrated parking management system that relies on state-of-the-art parking sensors, parking meters, and parking guidance technologies, as well as advanced analytical capabilities.
Transit: Increased frequency of bus rapid transit (BRT), additional transit signal priority (TSP) deployment, and capital improvements.
Travel Demand Management: Formation of new vanpools.
Findings
Transit ridership increases were noted corresponding to the deployment of both transit and tolling components of the CRD projects. The following specific changes to ridership were noted to lines utilizing and feeding the I-10 and I-110 ExpressLanes:
- Ridership on the I-110 segment of Metro's Silver Line increased 52 percent in the morning peak and 41 percent in the afternoon peak after service was added; it increased another 29 percent in morning peak and another 25 percent in the afternoon peak period after tolling started.
- Ridership on the I-10 segment of Metro's Silver Line increased by 15 percent in the morning peak and 7 percent in the afternoon peak after service was added.
- Ridership on the Foothill Transit Silver Streak (I-10) increased by 59 percent in the morning peak and 15 percent in the afternoon peak.
- Ridership on Foothill Transit Route 699 (I-10) dropped 13 percent in the morning peak but increased 53 percent in the afternoon peak.
- Ridership on Gardena Line 1X (I-110) increased 106 percent in the morning peak and 123 percent in the afternoon peak.
- Ridership on Gardena Line 2 (I-110) increased 3 percent in the morning peak and 12 percent in the afternoon peak.
- Ridership on the Torrance Transit Line 4 (I-110) increased 73 percent in the morning peak and 4 percent lower in the afternoon peak.
Overall, the trend was an increase in ridership. The sporadic decreases were hypothesized to be a result of the transit alternatives and scheduling of routes
