Q: I was on the 91 Freeway the other day. The toll on the message board to use the westbound Express Lanes from the 15 Freeway to the Orange County border was $24.30. My husband and I were traveling in separate cars, an hour apart, and we both saw this amount. This is an exorbitant amount — is it real? I was shocked at how many were using the road at this price.
– Diane Hassey, Mission Viejo
A: You did not see a mirage.
There are two major chunks of the 91 Express Lanes, a 10-mile one in Orange County and an eight-mile extension in Riverside County.
They largely operate as one tollway, with two lanes in each direction and entry/exit points at the county border.
Both segments use pricing to tamp down congestion with, of course, the price going up during high-demand times when the adjacent 91 Freeway is clogged.
“That is the intent, to provide a reliable, safe trip for those who choose to pay the toll,” said Ariel Alcon, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Transportation Commission, which oversees the eastern stretch. “The price helps manage that.”
The Orange County side uses historical data to set the prices, which can differ each hour and are on a set schedule that changes. Right now, the costliest hour is 2-3 p.m. on Fridays and going east: $9.65.
“The highest toll on the Orange County portion of the 91 Express Lanes was $10.65 in July 2017,” said Megan Abba, a spokesperson for the Orange County Transportation Authority, which owns that segment.
Riverside County deploys dynamic pricing — based on real-time data, via sensors, of how many vehicles are on the tollway.
“You will get a more free-flowing ride … if you decide to pay this toll,” Alcon said.
The added toll lanes in both counties, transportation officials will point out, take vehicles away from the regular freeway, too.
“Toll revenues are used to pay for the construction debt, operations, and maintenance of the Express Lanes,” David Knudsen, deputy executive director for Riverside County’s commission, said in an email. “If funds remain after those obligations are met, they are reinvested in projects that benefit travelers in the 91 corridor.”
That rate you saw, Diane, was for “when traffic is near peak volume,” Knudsen said.
If three or more are in a car or truck, the ride is free most of the time and otherwise is half-price.
Q: Dr. Honk: I recently saw an Illinois license plate with “FP” on it to the left of the number. Does this stand for “friendly person” or something else?
– Kioren Moss, Ventura
A: Inhabitants of the Land of Lincoln are indeed likely quite friendly, Kioren, although the state’s spokespeople not so much as they gave Honk the brush off when he sought info.
No matter.
“FP” stands for “fleet plate.”
A fleet plate is typically issued to a municipality or a company that owns large numbers of vehicles, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
HONKIN’ FACT: This year through Aug. 19, the Federal Aviation Administration says it is aware of 58 times a lithium battery on a flight has caught on fire, caused smoke, or gotten extremely hot. On Aug. 21, during an American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the flight crew snuffed out an onboard computer fire by placing the laptop in a thermal containment bag, according to CBS News.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk