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Express Lanes Trimming Commute Times On 110 Freeway

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — More Southland drivers are using the Harbor (110) Freeway now that express lanes have been put into use, transit officials said Wednesday.

Express Lanes Trimming Commute Times On 110 Freeway

KNX 1070's Ron Kilgore reports Metro officials say the lanes are also fueling a bus renaissance of sorts.

Since Metro first converted HOV lanes on the 110 Freeway to "pay as you go" express lanes back in November, work-week trips have jumped by about 7,000 per day along the 11-mile stretch of lanes between the 91 freeway and Adams Boulevard, according to Metro.

In its newly released "Express Lanes Performance Update" (PDF), the MTA reports speeds along the Harbor Freeway's express lanes now average 65 miles per hour during peak morning commute hours, compared with an average speed of 48 miles per hour for the rest of the freeway.

Unlike the former carpool lanes, the fare-based lanes also allow solo drivers to use them for a per-mile fee based on freeway congestion.

The express lanes are part of an overall $40 million transit investment program that has yielded over 50 new clean-fuel buses, new bus stops at Manchester and Slauson stations, and 16 new bike lockers across the system, according to Metro.

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