Metro - File #: 2023-0382

• File #: 2023-0382
• Type: Program
• Status: Passed
• File created: 5/19/2023
• In control: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• On agenda: 6/22/2023
• Final action: 6/22/2023
• Title: CONSIDER: A. RECEIVING AND FILING the ExpressLanes Pay-As-You-Go Pilot evaluation methodology and findings; B. AUTHORIZING the Pay-As-You-Go Program permanent, eliminate the $25 penalty for notice of toll evasion, and adjust the Program's "processing fee" (which replaces the former penalty amount) from $4 to $8 to align processing costs and fees; C. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer or their designee to conduct an annual audit to confirm the fee amount and make downward or upward adjustments to the fee as appropriate to keep costs and fees aligned, consistent with the Fee Adjustment Policy (Attachment D); and D. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer or their designee to make the necessary changes to the ExpressLanes Toll Ordinance, as required.
• Sponsors: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• Indexes: Audit, Budget, Budgeting, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Customer service, El Monte, Evaluation and assessment, Express lanes, General purpose lanes, Grant Aid, High occupancy toll lanes, High occupancy vehicle lanes, I-10, I-110, Impact fees, Location 0075, Metro Equity Platform, Metro ExpressLanes, Motion / Motion Response, Off peak periods, Payment, Peak periods, Policy, Program, Strategic planning, Terminal 19, Tolls, Travel time, Volume
• Related files: 2023-0296, 2022-0799, 2023-0467, 2023-0411

Date	Action By	Action	Result
6/22/2023	Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting

Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JUNE 22, 2023


Subject
SUBJECT: EXPRESSLANES PAY-AS-YOU-GO PILOT EVALUATION


Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS

Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:

A. RECEIVING AND FILING the ExpressLanes Pay-As-You-Go Pilot evaluation methodology and findings;

B. AUTHORIZING the Pay-As-You-Go Program permanent, eliminate the $25 penalty for notice of toll evasion, and adjust the Program's "processing fee" (which replaces the former penalty amount) from $4 to $8 to align processing costs and fees;

C. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer or their designee to conduct an annual audit to confirm the fee amount and make downward or upward adjustments to the fee as appropriate to keep costs and fees aligned, consistent with the Fee Adjustment Policy (Attachment D); and

D. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer or their designee to make the necessary changes to the ExpressLanes Toll Ordinance, as required.

Issue
ISSUE

The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Pilot was approved by the Board in January 2019 as a time-limited pilot to evaluate the effects of reducing the penalties associated with using the ExpressLanes for drivers without FasTrak transponders. At the time of approval, Metro staff committed to conducting an evaluation of the Pilot's impacts and to report back to the Board at the conclusion of the Pilot period with findings. This Board Report addresses the impacts of the Pilot, and its associated recommendation regarding the future of the PAYG Program.

Background
BACKGROUND
The Metro ExpressLanes are High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-110 and I-10 in Los Angeles County. They allow toll-free access to High Occupancy Vehicles (HOVs) while also offering non-HOV drivers the opportunity to use them by paying a toll that varies depending on the level of demand. Fundamentally, the ExpressLanes use pricing to optimize both lane utilization and performance by targeting usage levels that are just below the carrying capacity of th...