Public Meeting for Proposed I-680 Express Lanes

By Bay City News—

Bay Area transportation officials will meet with the public in San Ramon this evening to discuss a plan to put more express lanes on Interstate Highway 680 in an effort to keep traffic moving.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Caltrans are
proposing converting current high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes into express
lanes that would be open to solo motorists willing to pay a toll, according
to the MTC.

The express lanes would replace HOV lanes on southbound Highway
680 from Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek to Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon and on northbound Highway 680 from Alcosta Boulevard to the Livorna Road exit in Alamo.

MTC officials say the express lanes would be free for the same motorists currently allowed in HOV lanes, including carpools, vanpools and buses, and would also be open to solo drivers who pay a toll to use the lane.

The proposed changes are intended to ease congestion on the busy commuter highway, where traffic is projected to slow by about 5 miles per hour during peak morning commute hours and by about 10 miles during the evening commute by 2015, according to Lisa Klein, manager of the MTC's Express Lanes program.

Community members are invited to learn more about the express lanes proposal and provide their input at an MTC meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. today at the San Ramon Community Center at Central Park, located at 12501 Alcosta Blvd.

Those who cannot attend in person are invited to visit an online
public meeting at www.BAIFAexpresslanes.org held today through Feb. 13.

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