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+--- Thread: Complicated solution to a simple problem (/showthread.php?tid=13993)
Complicated solution to a simple problem - Gone in 60 - 01-12-2024
Lots of places have car pool or high occupancy vehicle lanes, which only vehicles with two or more people can use. In my area, some of those car pool lanes are slowly being converted to paid-use toll lanes. Motorcyclists have been able to use the car pool lanes, and thankfully, we're also able to use the toll lanes on regular roadways for free. We have to pay to use dedicated toll roads like everyone else.
One of those newly converted stretches of toll lanes is on the 405 freeway which runs past my office, so I'll be using it frequently. Motorcycles haven't really been regulated on these toll lanes, but with the increasing adoption of the toll lanes, I was recently admonished for not having a transponder on my bike, and the FasTrak (roadway administration) people just sent one for each of my bikes.
The transponder is a thick decal with wires running through it, and there are different ones for cars, so they can be billed, and motorcycles, so they can be excluded from billing. The transponder decal can't be attached to metal, only glass or plastic, so the instructions suggest sticking them to the bike's headlight or windscreen.
I'm not about to sully the pristine looks of my two-wheeled children with an ugly decal. But, what to do? Well, what do I already carry, that's made of plastic, and is already an eyesore? My top boxes! I have three bikes, I have three top boxes. And, on any given day that I'll be using the toll lanes, I'll be commuting, so I'll be using one of the three boxes. I made smooth mounting plates for the decals, and 3M taped them on my boxes.
Problem solved. A problem that would only be considered a problem by anal-retentive weirdos like me.
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - GoldOxide_imp - 01-12-2024
Wha 'bout daze when da rider wishes to toll lane cruise without da topbox? (It happens!)
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - Gone in 60 - 01-12-2024
Won't happen with me. Any time I'll be cruising without cargo, I'll be nowhere near a freeway!
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - pdedse - 01-12-2024
Haha...the great California Car Culture sure keeps one on his toes. I had so much fun riding the lil' INT650 through your beautiful state last summer--felt like I was in another country. I don't think I exhaled until I got a hundred miles north of SF on my way home.
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - Gone in 60 - 01-12-2024
I don't know if that means you enjoyed it, or you were on maximum pucker-factor until you left the state.
It's funny, when I'm stuck in traffic in a car, I look to my left at the two toll lanes that are barely being used, and fume "If they only made those into regular lanes, we'd all be going faster." When I'm on my bike, flying along in the unused toll lanes, looking to my right at the gridlocked cage traffic, I think "Wow, this is awesome! I have this whole lane to myself!"
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - GoldOxide_imp - 01-12-2024
(01-12-2024, 07:25 AM)pdedse_imp Wrote: Haha...the great California Car Culture sure keeps one on his toes. I had so much fun riding the lil' INT650 through your beautiful state last summer--felt like I was in another country. I don't think I exhaled until I got a hundred miles north of SF on my way home.
(01-12-2024, 07:39 AM)Gone in 60_imp Wrote: I don't know if that means you enjoyed it, or you were on maximum pucker-factor until you left the state.
It's funny, when I'm stuck in traffic in a car, I look to my left at the two toll lanes that are barely being used, and fume "If they only made those into regular lanes, we'd all be going faster." When I'm on my bike, flying along in the unused toll lanes, looking to my right at the gridlocked cage traffic, I think "Wow, this is awesome! I have this whole lane to myself!"
Well, you know that is not sustainable.
Eventually somebody somewhere will find a way to make money off of that.
" ... he's havin' fun! Tax him, immediately! ... "
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - Gone in 60 - 01-12-2024
Well, any car that uses these lanes carrying fewer than three people has to pay for using them. They're just not charging motorcycles.
When these were unpatrolled car pool lanes, it was under an honor system that only cars with more than one person could use them. They were heavily used, since honor is rare. Now that you are billed for using them, they have more tumbleweed traffic than cars.
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - GoldOxide_imp - 01-12-2024
Sometimes I wish Toronto had solutions like Los Angeles.
If you didn't know it already, here is yet another reason for riders to simply bypass Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
As of January 2024, Toronto is the third slowest city in the world, ... behind Dublin (Ireland) and London (England).
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/01/11/toronto-traffic-world-ranking-average-travel-time/
I didn't even see L.A. in the top 200:
https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - pdedse - 01-13-2024
(01-12-2024, 10:33 PM)GoldOxide_imp Wrote: Sometimes I wish Toronto had solutions like Los Angeles.
If you didn't know it already, here is yet another reason for riders to simply bypass Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
As of January 2024, Toronto is the third slowest city in the world, ... behind Dublin (Ireland) and London (England).
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/01/11/toronto-traffic-world-ranking-average-travel-time/
I didn't even see L.A. in the top 200:
https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/
I know why that site doesn't include Guatemala City and San José, Costa Rica...the people they sent to those cities to do the field testing are still stuck in traffic.
RE: Complicated solution to a simple problem - GoldOxide_imp - 01-13-2024
At times, things can appear relative. Certainly small localized situations may not affect statistical regional averages.
When I was in Atlanta, Georgia - the local folks complained about their traffic. Said it was the worst anywhere.
I drove in Atlanta morning and late afternoon weekly. I said, " ... what is the problem? Have you driven in Toronto?"
I found Atlanta rush hour comparatively delightful.