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National Road Pricing Conference

Case Studies
San Diego, California — FasTrak I-15 Express Lanes

"FasTrak I-15 Express Lanes" – I-15, San Diego, CA, HOT Lanes Project

Logo. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.

Project Description

The FasTrak I-15 Express Lanes allow solo drivers to pay a per-trip fee to use the existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes located in the center median of I-15 between Kearny Mesa and Rancho Bernardo in the City of San Diego. Carpoolers and transit customers use these HOV lanes for free.

Pricing Parameters

  • Dynamic pricing for SOVs to maintain Level of Service C; assumed capacity/lane/hour = 1520
  • Operates:
    • Southbound: Mon – Fri, 5:30 a.m. – 12 noon
    • Northbound: Mon – Thurs, 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Fri 1:00 p.m. – Mon 4:30 a.m.
  • Toll free for:
    • HOV 2+ carpools
    • Transit buses
    • Emergency vehicles
    • Motorcycles
    • low-emissions vehicles
  • Toll Rate - $0.50 to $4.00, with maximum toll of $8.00
  • Must have FasTrak transponder

Unique Features

Revenues fund the Island Breeze Express Bus Service (Route 980/990), which provides service between the Rancho Bernardo area and downtown San Diego along the I-15 corridor.

Project Support

Public feedback has shown that I-15 FasTrak customers, transit riders, and other corridor commuters overwhelmingly support the FasTrak project and its expansion on the I-15 Express Lanes.

Project Website

http://fastrak.511sd.com/index.aspx
http://www.sandag.org/index.asp?projectid=67&fusecation=projects.detail

Photo. View of a San Diego roadway with vehicles using the toll lanes and the general purpose lanes. The toll lane is less congested. Photo. View of a San Diego roadway with vehicles using the toll lanes and the general purpose lanes. Photo. View of a San Diego roadway with vehicles using the toll lanes and the general purpose lanes.

Project Goals

The goal of the I-15 Express Lanes is to keep traffic moving through the I-15 corridor, adjusting as needed to accommodate increased congestion or special events. The Express Lanes are designed to offer multiple choices for commuters and were created to provide vanpools, carpools, and express bus and FasTrak customers with a smoother, quicker, and more reliable trip along the booming I-15 corridor. The Express Lanes also help ease demand on the general purpose lanes, benefiting all commuters and contributing to a "greener" community as commuters realize both the environmental and economic benefits of ridesharing and public transit.

Project Length

8 miles

Number of HOT lanes

2 (both reversible in same direction)

Midpoint Access

No midpoint access; pop-ups and barrier gates to prevent wrong way entrances

Lane Separation

Concrete barrier

Daily Traffic

FY 2010 weekday traffic averages at Bernardo Center: 21,654

Capital Costs

$10 million (1991)

Operating Costs

$750,000 operating costs per year and an additional $80,000 for facility enforcement

Revenue

$2.2 million in 2004
$1.3 million in 2006
$1.2 million (estimate) in 2007

Project Contact

Chris Burke
cbur@sandag.org
(619) 699-1934

Version 1 8/23/10
HOT0901.0410.20

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