#  Toll Road Irony NOT Funny

     Details    Lucy Dunn   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         December 20 2012       [ARCHIVE](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive)   - [  Previous Article **The ‘Watchdog’ Has It Wrong: DWP Investment in Children’s Museum is a Bargain** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4237:the-watchdog-has-it-wrong-dwp-investment-in-children-s-museum-is-a-bargain&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Feeding the Beast: City Hall’s Voracious Appetite for Your Money** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4239:feeding-the-beast-city-hall-s-voracious-appetite-for-your-money&catid=16)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
> ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Dec-2012/cw10102p.png)GUEST COMMENTARY - The LA Times recently [published an article](http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tollway-probe-20121207,0,6975571.story) calling into question the viability of Orange County’s Toll Roads in light of a formal inquiry launched by state Treasurer Bill Lockyer into whether the roads can cover the interest payments to private investors who purchased tollway bonds. This could be a sitcom if it weren’t so serious.
>
> Orange County is the toll road capital of the State of California, with almost 60 miles of toll roads, adding to the highly successful Riverside County/Orange County 91 Express Lanes. As a result, commuters have been able to make choices about travel for decades, paying a little extra fee for faster service, or not depending on the driver’s schedule.
>
>
>
> And now we see Los Angeles following in OC’s footsteps with the opening of the I-110 Express Lanes and coming soon I-10 Express Lanes in downtown.
>
>
>
> But the irony of the day is that if, in fact, the Orange County toll road system is in financial trouble, it is due in large part to government officials–including Bill Lockyer, in his former role as California Attorney General–suing to stop the Transportation Corridor Agencies, and others doing everything in their power to prevent, over-regulate or delay the completion of the system to assure financial viability.
>
>
>
> TCA has been stopped at every attempt to connect the toll road system to the I-5 freeway (denied last by the California Coastal Commission) and just this month, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) rejected an express lane/toll connection between the I-73 toll road and the I-405 freeway.
>
>
>
> The very folks in the Times’ story complaining about the financial viability of toll roads have actually contributed to the slow torture of a great idea: choice.
>
>
>
> P.S. It’s also time to better align Orange County’s two transportation agencies, TCA and OCTA, now that they are both collecting tolls.
>
>
>
> *( Lucy Dunn is President and CEO of the Orange County Business Council. This column was posted first at [foxandhoundsdaily.com](http://foxandhoundsdaily.com))*
>
> -cw
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> CityWatch
>
> Vol 10 Issue 102
>
> Pub: Dec 21, 2012

  - [  Previous Article **The ‘Watchdog’ Has It Wrong: DWP Investment in Children’s Museum is a Bargain** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4237:the-watchdog-has-it-wrong-dwp-investment-in-children-s-museum-is-a-bargain&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Feeding the Beast: City Hall’s Voracious Appetite for Your Money** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4239:feeding-the-beast-city-hall-s-voracious-appetite-for-your-money&catid=16)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>