Southern California Freeways - Comparisons and 'firsts'

Comparisons and 'firsts'

• First freeway in California (Arroyo Seco Parkway linking Pasadena and Los Angeles)
• First stack interchange (Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles)
• First grade-separated HOV lanes
• First fully automated tollway system (91 Express Lanes in northern Orange County)

The Southern California area has fewer lane-miles per capita than most large metropolitan areas in the United States, ranking 31st of the top 39. As of 1999, Greater Los Angeles had 0.419 lane-miles per 1,000 people, only slightly more than Greater New York City and fewer than Greater Boston, the Washington Metropolitan Area and the San Francisco Bay Area. (American metros average .613 lane-miles per thousand) San Diego ranked 17th in the same study, with 0.659 lane-miles per thousand, and the Inland Empire ranked 21st, with 0.626.