Utah commission OKs stretch of I-15 toll lanes

Toll lanes are coming to Utah, either by the end of August or early September.

With a quick vote, members of the state Transportation Commission on Friday authorized the Utah Department of Transportation to implement "high-occupancy toll" or HOT lanes on a 40-mile stretch of I-15. The lanes allow a single driver to pay for the right to drive in the car-pool lane, freeing capacity in other lanes.

UDOT estimates that speeds on I-15 will increase an average of 10 mph during peak travel times as a result of HOT lanes. It will cost the state $2.61 million to implement the lanes.

"This is big to the general commuter," said Randy Park, director of UDOT Region 2, which covers Salt Lake, Tooele and Summit counties.

No person spoke in opposition to the plan during Friday's commission meeting. UDOT officials said they had received a few e-mails from residents questioning whether HOT lanes would be a way to help the rich get through congestion — a "Lexus lane" of sorts.

Low-income advocates contacted Friday said they had not reviewed the issue.

"Unfortunately, Utah is not really a place where we have anyone studying transportation from the consumer's side at this point in time," said Bill Tibbitts with the Anti-Hunger Action Committee.

The seven-member commission appeared confident that consumers would use HOT lanes, voting unanimously to bring the toll lanes to Utah. Much of their time was actually spent debating whether motorists should initially be charged $50 or $75 a month to use the lane.

They settled on $50 a month, with the option to increase fees up to $100 a month.

"I think we're coming in on the low side of what we should charge," said Commissioner Kent Millington. "Let's skim this market. Let's set this price higher in a controlled environment and see where we can get."

With the commission's approval, UDOT can now begin work to implement HOT lanes, which will stretch about 40 miles from 600 North in Salt Lake City to University Parkway in Orem. This July, crews will begin restriping the current car-pool lanes on I-15. Double white lines will be used to separate the lanes, with access points in 15 locations for motorists.

Park says that motorists who want to use the lanes will have to purchase a sticker for their car. Current plans are to have the stickers available online, perhaps as early as July. Only 600 will be made available at first, and UDOT may make more permits available later, depending on how successful the program is.

The state's estimated revenue from the stickers is about $360,000, which will be used to maintain and operate the HOT lanes.