Where can I enter the I-15 Express Lanes?.If you don't find the answer to your question here, please contact us and we'll be happy to get the answer for you. The following are some of the more common questions asked by our customers. Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.Frequently Asked Questions as of May 1, 2007 "I think the people using the toll roads deserve a big refund," Court said. "They ought to ensure that it doesn't become a trap for the unwary, which it is now." "I think California legislature needs to look at this whole regime and if they really want to keep toll lanes in California, which I think is a dreadful idea," Buffington said. The agency insists its violation and late fees are consistent with other toll roads and necessary to keep violators out. The OCTA's own numbers show they've collected $25 million in penalties in just the last five years. He was not part of the class-action lawsuit, but says his past clients have amassed tens of thousands of dollars in penalties. "Someone is making a fortune off this scheme and it isn’t the people of California," said Roger Buffington, an attorney who has settled dozens of claims for what he calls unconstitutional fees. The suit alleged the OCTA and Cofiroute improperly shared private information of users with a third party. The OCTA denies that, but the agency along with other toll road operators recently settled a class-action lawsuit which could get you a refund or penalty forgiveness if you use a Fastrak on the 91. "It's because they are under fire, they're under fire in the courts and somewhat in the legislature." "The promise to use for future projects doesn't hold much water," said Court, pointing out they have had almost two decades to make improvements. The agency said a few years ago there was a change in policy and insists, " almost 750 million is planned to go into future projects" and adds it has already set aside more than $165 million in reserves for two future projects. We are proud of our finances and transparency." Any assertion that toll revenues are not being thoughtfully invested for the public’s benefit is incorrect. In a statement, the OCTA wrote, "OCTA’s purchase of the 91 Express Lanes has directly resulted in the investment of nearly $2 billion to improve the regular 91 lanes and another $1 billion is planned over the next 20 years. 91 freeway express lanes motorcycles professional#"Everything else is a fee or professional bureaucracy." "I want to know how much of that money is going to perpetuate a bureaucracy because the only thing on that list that I hear that is benefiting people is Caltrans maintenance road," Court said. The rest went to the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans maintenance, lease payments and violation processing fees. About a million a year also went just to credit card processing fees. Principal and repaying loans taken out to buy the lanes make up about $210 million.Īnother $283 million went to operating costs, which included $6 to 8 million a year to the company Cofiroute, USA to manage the lanes, the company was also one of the original investors. The agency, instead, tells us the biggest chunks of money have been spent in two categories. No one from the OCTA would go on camera, even though we asked numerous times over more than a month. The move let transportation officials get out of a non-compete clause that barred them from widening or improving the freeway. In 2003, state lawmakers cleared the way for the OCTA to buy the Express Lanes from the private company CPTC for just over $200 million. "That is scandalous and someone needs to be held accountable for where the money is going and how it' being used," said Jamie Court, of Consumer Watchdog, one of the state's most vocal consumer advocacy groups. She tells us she moved out of Orange County in 2003 with the understanding that leaders had a plan and congestion would improve, instead she says it's gotten worse. She says the money should be spent on "bettering the roads." That has Inland Empire resident Dianne Loch calling it highway robbery. Of that amount, only $46 million has gone back into improving the roads. His fees are just part of $860 million collected so far since 2003 on 10 miles of Express Lanes. Most of that money was collected in fees and penalties, but a small fraction came from interest payments, according to figures we obtained from the OCTA. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter.
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