Countywide : Foes of Car-Pool Lanes Get Boost From Study

Drivers for Highway Safety, a nonprofit advocacy group, Tuesday released the findings of a study conducted in Orange and Riverside counties that the group said strengthens its stance that car-pool lanes do not significantly reduce pollution or congestion on California highways.

In a 45-minute press conference in Santa Ana, the group unveiled a detailed, 11-page study conducted by the California Department of Transportation in August that assesses the impact on air quality in Orange and Riverside counties associated with the Riverside Freeway improvement project.

The study considered the environmental impact of two alternatives--car-pool lanes versus unrestricted, general purpose lanes--for the expansion of the Riverside Freeway.

“The report basically states that the best local air quality results were with the general purpose lanes,” said spokesman Larry Koenig. But state officials are not considering general purpose lanes, he said.

Caltrans officials in the Orange County office said the report retrieved by the group was based on inaccurate traffic data.

“Someone in our office gave inaccurate figures to the consultant for the study,” said Ron Kosinski, environmental division chief for Caltrans in Orange County.