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SALT LAKE CITY -- State traffic engineers have weighed in on how much motorists should pay to drive solo in the I-15 express lane, one trip at a time.
According to the Standard Examiner, engineers on Thursday recommended a fee of 25 cents per I-15 zone, when traffic is light. The cost would go up in 25-cent increments, depending on congestion, to a maximum of $1 per zone in heavy traffic.
There would be four I-15 toll zones along the Wasatch Front. Three of them would run from American Fork to Beck Street. Another would run from Farmington to Layton [[Click here to see a map of express lane zones].](http://media.bonnint.net/slc/1637/163713/16371313.pdf)
State officials say they aren't looking to make money. They say the state should break even under the proposed rates.
The recommendation still needs approval of the Utah Transportation Commission, which won't make a decision until spring. The Salt Lake Tribune reports commissioners will take public comments at their monthly meetings and soon online at www.expresslanes.utah.gov.
The Tribune says UDOT traffic counts show most points in the express lanes currently have extra capacity of 400 to 1,200 vehicles per hour, even during rush hour.
When the system begins, motorists would buy an electronic transponder for their vehicles, allowing them to be automatically billed if they decide to use the express lane. Electronic overhead signs would display the cost of entering the lane. Right now, drivers pay $50 per month to use the express lanes.
