91 Express Tolls to Rise for Fifth Time in Four Years

The beleaguered operators of the 91 Express Lanes will raise tolls on the private road this month, the fifth such increase since the lanes opened a little more than four years ago.

The money-losing lanes have been the focus of scrutiny since a failed attempt late last year to sell the road to a nonprofit group of businessmen. The deal was harshly criticized by some local politicians, who said the owners’ profit, estimated at $90 million, was too high.

The operator of the toll lanes said Tuesday that the hike is needed to relieve congestion during rush hours, particularly the eastbound afternoon commute, but critics say the increase is a thinly veiled attempt to raise revenues on a road that is millions of dollars short of meeting expenses.

The fare hikes--ranging from 5 cents to 40 cents--are scheduled to begin March 26. The steepest price--$3.75--will be paid by motorists heading into Riverside County on Friday afternoons, up from the current high of $3.50.

The biggest price jump--from $1.60 to $2--will be paid by drivers heading east between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. Unchanged will be the 75-cent off-peak fare and the rates during several less-traveled time periods.

The 10 miles of toll lanes that run in the median of the Riverside Freeway between the border of Riverside and Orange counties and the Costa Mesa Freeway is one of the nation’s most expensive commutes per mile.

“They’re looking at this from a sheer profit standpoint, which is not the way our freeways and roads should be treated,” said Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster, one of the most vocal critics of the private road.

Buster and other local lawmakers said Tuesday that the latest fare increase underscores the need for the road to be removed from private hands.

“There is definitely an incentive now,” said Assemblyman Rod Pacheco (R-Walnut) of a bill he has introduced to buy the toll lanes.

Greg Hulsizer, general manager of California Private Transportation Co., which controls the lanes, said: “We need to guarantee our customers a congestion-free commute. We are making those peak period adjustments in hope that some of our customers will go a little bit earlier or a little bit later.”