Q: While recently driving one of the toll roads, it got me thinking about whether they are economically successful if privately owned. If so, who benefits? I think it has been 25 to 30 years since the 91 Express Lanes first opened. I believe it was intended to be purely a private investment. How much did it cost? How much revenue is being generated? What are annual maintenance costs?
– Brad Umansky, Claremont
A: History time, class — and its interesting stuff.
The 91 Express Lanes opened in 1995, built by a private group, the California Private Transportation Co. because public funding wasn’t available, for $135 million with the 10-mile tollway rolling along inside the 91 Freeway in Orange County to the Riverside County line. There are two lanes each way.
In January 2003, the Orange County Transportation Authority bought the system for $207.5 million, using cash and bonds, bringing it into public ownership. Years later, the Riverside County Transportation Commission extended it into its turf.
Strictly private tollways are extremely rare and none are local. So Honk focused on the 91 Express Lanes’ finances for the Orange County section.
The tolls, set for each hour based on previous volume, range from $2 to $9.65 for those with fewer than three people — three or more can ride for free most of the time.
Toll prices go up and down based on usage, in part to discourage some drivers from taking the 91 Express Lanes — they are to always be congestion free.
But the tolls do much more than just keep the Express Lanes generally flowing along.
For fiscal year 2024-25, Megan Abba, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Transportation Authority, said that “after accounting for operating costs and principal and interest payments, the 91 Express Lanes generated approximately $40 million in excess toll revenue.
“Since OCTA purchased the lanes in 2003,” she added, “more than $100 million in excess toll revenue has been spent directly on transportation projects along (that corridor). Additional excess toll revenue has been set aside in reserves for future freeway and transit projects.”
That extra toll revenue from the Orange County side of the Express Lanes must be spent along the 91 Freeway from the 57 Freeway to the Riverside County border.
Which is quite ironic: When the private company ran the tollway, it had a non-compete clause that prohibited improvements to that stretch’s regular 91 Freeway lanes that would reduce congestion.
HONKIN’ FACT: Likely the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world is the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, near the Harajuku district that is popular for youth fashion and made even more famous a couple of decades ago by Orange County’s Gwen Stefani, who sang about it and was backed at times by dancers with the district’s look.
Hundreds, if not a thousand-plus pedestrians, many in their teens, twenties or early thirties, cross the street here at one time, as the vehicular traffic totally stops — you can cross in any direction.
Known as the Shibuya Scramble, it has to be the world’s happiest march across any street, too, as pedestrians stop mid-roadway for selfies and to snap cellphone photos of friends and family members.
You can see it live via a webcam. Just google “Shibuya Crossing webcam;” weekend nights, Japan time, are best.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk