Freedom of Choice With Toll Lanes

* Re your editorial, “Two Is Company on the Orange Freeway,” Nov. 24:

I believe that you are wrong when you state that having people pay in carpool lanes will create two classes of citizens. In reality, there are already two different types of people on the freeways. The people that are willing to pay for the extra lanes can afford to do so; the ones that cannot, will not. This has not created two new classes of people on the freeways; it has simply defined them.

I believe adding lanes for people that carpool will ease the amount of traffic congestion overall. This is because of the simple fact that there will be more lanes and therefore more room for the ever-increasing number of vehicles that travel the roadways. If the only way to accomplish this is to add lanes and charge tolls for them, then it needs to be done.

It is obvious that the taxpayers’ money is inadequate, so why doesn’t the Orange County Transportation Authority approve the additional lanes that will be funded by those who will travel on them? Having them use the added lanes will decrease the amount of traffic in the other lanes and will benefit everyone.

You make a hasty generalization when you state that it would not be possible for those who only have two people in their car to add one more person to their carpool. This is not that difficult of a task to do. People who are willing to put forth the effort to carpool usually will not have a problem finding a third to join their group.

The ones who travel in the carpool lanes are the ones that are concerned about decreasing the amount of traffic on the roads and getting to work faster. All of this can be accomplished by adding the desperately needed lanes and charging those who use them.

ANDREA JANEE DIXON

Orange

* Once again The Times has positioned itself against freedom of choice and in favor of social engineering.

I drive the Orange Freeway every day, and I would love to have the option of paying to drive in a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane rather than sit in traffic and be late for an important meeting or event. The carpool lanes are usually empty on this freeway because car-pooling is just not practical for most people with busy schedules.

While OCTA has done a good job improving the freeway system in Orange County, more needs to be done, including the addition of HOT lanes on all freeways and a practical rail transit system. HOT lanes can be a welcome addition to the improvements funded by Measure M, and are not just a speedy pathway for the affluent, as you assert.

RONN S. KNOX

Fullerton