OCTA Adjusts Tolls On 91 Express Lanes (2009)

Annual inflation adjustment goes into effect July 1, toll decreasing during one time period based on congestion management pricing policy
ORANGE- Customers on the 91 Express Lanes will see moderate adjustments beginning Wednesday, July 1, when tolls will increase 5 cents to 10 cents during hours that haven’t seen price changes in the last year.
The 91 Express Lanes tolls are set based on the congestion management pricing policy approved by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in 2004. The policy requires an annual toll adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index and Labor Index- in this case 3.86 percent, rounded up or down to the nearest 5-cent increment.
The cost of driving the 10-mile toll road linking Orange and Riverside counties will now range from $1.30 to $9.90 depending on hour of day, day of the week and direction of travel.
In addition to the annual cost-of-living adjustment, the toll will decrease by 50 cents, from $5.40 to $4.90, during the 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. hour on Thursdays in the eastbound direction. The reduction is the result of a decrease in traffic volumes during that time period.
The pricing policy calls for dropping and raising tolls based on traffic demand. Traffic volumes are monitored daily and adjusted quarterly.
OCTA bought the 91 Express Lanes in 2003 from the private company that built them. The purchase removed a non-compete clause and to date, more than $10 million from 91 Express Lanes revenue has gone toward improvements to the parallel Riverside Freeway (SR-91).
To view the new toll schedule, go to www.octa.net/91tolls