Toll for 91 Express Lanes to Rise Again

The price of using the 91 Express Lanes is going up again for the fifth time in the road’s three-year history.

The increase in rates, which will range from 75 cents to $3.50 starting Jan. 31, comes as the owners of the privately built, owned and operated lanes are exploring selling out to a nonprofit group.

“I think the timing of the rate change is a little bit questionable,” said Gary Hausdorfer, who heads the group interested in buying the lanes. “What you need to take into consideration is common sense as well as economics. You want to make sure you aren’t losing your market share.”

In the last few months, the 10 miles of toll lanes--which run from the Riverside County line to the Costa Mesa Freeway--have lost some business to the recently opened Eastern Toll Road, according to officials at California Private Transportation Co., which owns the road. Still, they say the rate increase was necessary to keep traffic flowing in the toll lanes, which run parallel to the notoriously congested Riverside Freeway.

“We regularly review our fare schedules,” said Greg Hulsizer, the general manager of the 91 Lanes. “We had our cash flow break even last year and we had a strong last half of the year as well.”