The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) are partnering with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to increase the presence of law enforcement officers on The Toll Roads to encourage drivers to respect posted speed limits.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, TCA and the CHP have observed a complete disregard for posted speed limits by some drivers on The Toll Roads, prompting the Boards to act in the best interest of public safety. As a result, TCA will fund nearly 200 hours of targeted enforcement through the end of June.
“As a Director at TCA, public safety is my top priority. Just because fewer cars are on our roads (due to more remote working) does not give people a license to break the law. Neither I, nor anyone at TCA, condones reckless driving. We are putting our dollars to work and ramping up law enforcement because we want people to drive safely and arrive alive,” said Director Don Wagner, Third District Orange County Supervisor and TCA Board Member.
Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, 2020, CHP officers across the state issued 4,851 citations for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour, a 93 percent increase when compared to the same period the previous year, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
The targeted patrolling performed by CHP, the official law enforcement agency for all state highways, will be in addition to the hundreds of hours of enforcement already performed each month. Officers will increase comprehensive patrolling of the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads.
“These additional hours will allow TCA and CHP to pinpoint the bad behaviors that we need to eradicate on our roads and serve as a reminder that paying a toll doesn’t buy drivers out of following the rules of the road,” said Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency Chair Peggy Huang, who serves as Mayor of Yorba Linda. “I’m committed to public safety in my city and on The Toll Roads. Supporting this effort was an easy policy decision.”
“We thank our CHP officers for aiding in this effort to ensure The Toll Roads remain the safest and most reliable travel choice for Orange County residents. Safety on our roads is paramount in our overall effort to provide enhanced mobility in our region. That we can implement a program like this by shifting priorities while staying within our lean fiscal year budget is a testament to the work of our staff,” said San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency Chair and Mission Viejo Mayor Trish Kelley.
For more information on TCA’s programs and services, or to sign up for a FasTrak® account, visit thetollroads.com.
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) are two joint powers authorities formed by the California Legislature in 1986 to plan, finance, construct and operate Orange County’s public toll road system comprised of the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads.
