405 Toll Lane Decision Delayed Until December

The Orange County Transportation Authority on Friday voted unanimously to delay a decision on a controversial plan to add toll lanes to the 405 Freeway.

Citing a need to gather more information and reach out to local cities, the OCTA said it will discuss the plan again at its Dec. 9 meeting.

The toll lanes, proposed for a stretch of the 405 freeway between SR-55 in Costa Mesa and the 605 freeway in Seal Beach, have come under fire from residents as well as affected cities such as Seal Beach and Los Alamitos.

Proponents for the plan say toll lanes could generate an estimate $1.5 billion in revenue over the next 30 years while opponents to the toll lanes say it is unfair to local residents who already pay for the roads with taxes.

The toll lanes are just one of three current options for renovating the 405 Freeway through Orange County. The two other options do not call for toll lanes, but will add either one or two general-purpose lanes in each direction.

According to the OCTA, traffic on the 405 Freeway is expected to increase by 35 percent by 2040, necessitating the need for additional lanes.