LANSING- If you drive in an area of high congestion, relief could be coming.

Rep. Coleman Young II has proposed a solution for high-traffic areas.

The Democrat from Detroit has offered a plan that he says would help alleviate busy highways and freeways by charging a toll to drive in a reserved lane. “I’d like to create an extra lane in high-congested areas that could be used through the use of a transponder.”

Yellow cones would divide fast-track lanes from other expressway lanes, he said.

Anyone could purchase a transponder to be placed in or on their car, Young explained. It would send a signal to a corresponding tower, where cameras would be placed.

The cameras would photograph license plates of cars that don’t have transponders, to assess a fine.

Young said the money paid for transponders would help fund the transportation system.

He’s targeting Detroit-area roads for a study.

“It could be a solution to help I-75 passengers move quickly and get to and from their destinations faster,” he said.

Bill Shreck, director of communication for the Department of Transportation, says that MDOT isn’t opposed to such ideas.

“Right now, we’re looking into everything to help with road congestion,” Shreck said.

Adding capacity lanes is an option. However converting current lanes is not because they were built using government funds, he said.

To use the federally funded lanes for something other than free lanes, the state would have to repay the federal government and that would prove to be extremely costly, he said.

Tolls can't be charged to use any federal funded lanes for the same reasons. Only roads that have been built and paid for by the state can have tolls.

Shreck also spoke about high-occupancy vehicles lanes that are reserved for cars with more than one passenger. They are in use in Texas and many other places.

The AAA of Michigan is historically opposed to adding tolls to roads, said Nancy Cain.
“We think the roads should continue to be funded to tax dollars,” she said.

The AAA is willing to looking at studies to determine the needs to alleviate congestion, but there would have to be a good case for it, she said.

The bill is in the House Committee on Transportation.