We've told you that if you want to ride in the new toll lanes on the 110 Freeway just south of downtown, you need to buy a transponder. But (unshockingly) not everyone has gotten the memo.
Since the new lanes opened up on November 10, Metro has sent out 12,297 tickets to drivers who were caught taking new toll lanes without using a transponder, according to Zev Yaroslavsky's website (h/t Curbed LA).
CHP Sergeant Terry Liu said, "A lot of [drivers] don't understand that every vehicle has to have a transponder regardless of whether or not you satisfy the car pool requirement. We are seeing people crossing over the double white lines, and then, when we pull them over, we notice they have no transponder."
For now, Metro is only charging drivers for whatever it would have cost them to pay the toll if they were solo drivers. Those 12,297 tickets will cost drivers $18,358, so it averages to about $1.50 a ticket. Along with a ticket, they're sending an application to get a transponder (here's more information about how much it costs).
Stephanie Wiggins, the project manager for Metro, said, "If they apply, they can get a waiver of the penalty. We want good customers, good transactions. It's partly a marketing tool."
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