Paying for Nothing

I discovered another example of the Riverside Freeway toll lanes’ unfriendliness to the occasional user. I had considered getting a transponder just for the half-dozen or so times I drive to Rancho Cucamonga during the year, mainly because some trips are on holidays when the [freeway] is jammed. However, I changed my mind when I read the fine print on the application and found they will charge a $1 fee any month there is no account activity.

Separate toll lanes down the center of a freeway are a chancy enough proposition. The only way they will benefit those who can’t take advantage of them is if they attract enough other drivers to reduce traffic in the free lanes. With all the obstacles, I’ll be surprised if they succeed.

NICK BEAVER

Fountain Valley