Q: Theodore Petrich of Hemet bemoaned all the solo drivers who ignore the law by entering and using freeway carpool lanes. Petrich asked why the state Legislature can’t install cameras on freeway on-ramps and freeways to monitor the carpool lanes and enforce the multiple-occupant rules.
A: We think this is a good question to direct to the Legislature, but we suspect cost and technical challenges are among the reasons that cameras are not used on California freeways for law enforcement purposes, much like they have been rejected for sound violations enforcement.
The only cameras currently in use on the state’s freeways are cameras with live feeds that show live activity. Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol use these to observe and gather information about live freeway conditions in real time, said CHP Inland Division Officer Dan Olivas. These cameras don’t record anything, he said.
If the Legislature were to authorize funding for the CHP to use cameras for law enforcement purposes, the cameras would have to record what they see and be usable in the future from a Web-based platform – and not just show what’s happening in real time. The costs for such technology, plus staffing to view and review all this footage in order to use it as evidence for issuing citations, plus the maintenance costs for the thousands of cameras that might be placed at scores of freeway carpool lanes or on-ramps, would be enormous.
Q: Susan Savolainen of Banning said she recently drove eastbound on the 10 Freeway from Banning to Whitewater, heading toward Palm Springs, at 7 a.m. The angle of the sun made it difficult to see the lane lines. There are white stripes painted on black stripes, but they aren’t visible unless the sun is higher in the sky, she said. “This seems like a new problem that I associate with the removal of the reflective dots that used to help delineate the lanes. How can we convince Caltrans to return to using the reflective dots? This is a safety issue.”
A: This same issue comes up on freeways at certain times of the year due to the angle of the sun, which can make it hard to see lines painted on the freeway. In this case, Caltrans recently completed its I-10 Tune Up Pavement Rehabilitation Project, which was a pavement rehabilitation project on the 10 Freeway from Beaumont to State Route 111 – the same area where our reader was driving eastbound. This approximately 20-mile long project began in 2020 and replaced damaged concrete slabs, rehabilitated the pavement in the project area, upgraded on and off ramps, and upgraded shoulders, guardrails and drainage systems.
Caltrans Spokesman Eric Dionne shared an image from Google Maps showing that BOT dots were installed and were part of the scope of the work done during the I-10 Tune-Up through this stretch of freeway. “They are more so for visibility when dark, as the reflectivity is applicable from headlights,” Dionne said.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call 951-368-9995.