Q: Greetings Honk: While traveling in the 91 Express Lanes, in either direction, there is \u201c3+ lane\u201d that is less than a 1\/4 mile long and looks to me to serve no purpose. What say you, Honk.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Mike Rowland, Long Beach<\/p>\n
A: Honk says that lane can save motorists some moola, Mike.<\/p>\n
Here is how it works:<\/p>\n
Drivers accompanied by two or more passengers should take that lane \u2014 telling the tollway that you deserve a break today.<\/p>\n
On the Orange County side of the tollway, there is a booth for each direction, where when manned the spotter looks out for cheaters and can give a heads-up to a California Highway Patrol officer who can cite the offenders. The Express Lanes pays to have an extra layer of CHP officers, who can tuck their cruisers off to the side there and wait.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s free if you (legitimately) go through that lane \u2026 except for eastbound Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., and it\u2019s 50% at that time,\u201d said Joel Zlotnik, a spokesperson for the Orange County Transportation Authority, which owns the 91 Express Lanes in O.C.<\/p>\n
The system, if you take that short diversion, knows to not charge you. All vehicles on the Express Lanes, by the way, must have a transponder.<\/p>\n
Cheaters going through the three-plus lanes can get the equivalent to a carpool-lane violation, which can run well more than $400.<\/p>\n
In Riverside County, the same discount applies. There, the Express Lanes deploy what it calls the Occupancy Detection System, which \u2014 even through tinted windows, usually \u2014 determines how many occupants are in the vehicle. It can even detect infants in child seats, the tollway says.<\/p>\n
When a vehicle pulls into the three-plus lane, a camera takes eight still photos real fast, and a $5 million \u201cimage technology\u201d device determines if indeed three are inside. If the device says no, a person examines the photos to ensure there was actually a violation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty effective,\u201d said David Knudsen, deputy executive director of the Riverside County Transportation Commission, which owns that portion of the 91 Express Lanes. \u201cWe\u2019re the first in the nation doing this. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t know, we are going to err on the side (of the driver),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Agencies from across the country have called the commission to ask about the device.<\/p>\n
Before the technology was deployed in August, 40% who drove in the lane for the discount were not supposed to, Knudsen said; in January, that had gone down to 30%.<\/p>\n
Violators don\u2019t get the discount, of course, and in addition are docked a $5 Occupancy Correction fee.<\/p>\n
Like in O.C., CHP officers can pull over violators in Riverside County and cite them for the carpool-lane-like violation, too.<\/p>\n
Q: Dear Honk: I am not a resident of the fair city of Orange, but I often like to meet up with friends and family in the circle area for a leisurely meal and a short walkabout. My question: I have Disabled Person license plates. Will I need to pay to park?<\/p>\n
\u2013 Dave Johnson, \u00a0Anaheim<\/p>\n
A: That is a neat place, right, Dave? Honk dined there just last week.<\/p>\n
Starting Feb. 9, to park on some streets in Old Towne Orange will come with a fee \u2014 for most folks.<\/p>\n
From 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., the charge will be $1.25 to two bucks an hour, reporter Victoria Le of the Southern California News Group recently told readers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under state law, Orange officials said, those properly using Disabled Person license plates and placards are exempt from paying for metered parking on public streets<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t