Feds OK money for 'Lexus lanes' on Interstate 95

In the very near future, Interstate 95 is going to look a whole lot different -- and potentially cost a lot more -- for hundreds of thousands of South Florida motorists.

Bolstered by a $62.9 million federal grant announced Tuesday, the state will immediately begin converting the underused and unpopular High Occupancy Vehicle lanes into an all-electronic High Occupancy Toll highway.

South Florida was one of five traffic-plagued metropolitan areas awarded a total of $848 million to accelerate plans that aim to use technology and free-market principles to reduce congestion and enhance mass transit.

''This is a huge deal for South Florida,'' said U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Miami Republican who sits on the House Transportation Committee. ``We're going to be at the forefront of some serious innovations. I really believe this is going to have a pretty dramatic impact on traffic. It's been done in other places, and it works.''

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced the grants to South Florida, New York City, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Seattle in a series of conference calls from Washington.

''Miami's leaders understand that their city can no longer rely on yesterday's ideas to fight today's traffic jams,'' Peters said. ``They have stepped forward with a plan that is distinctive and audacious.''

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