A few weeks ago we wrote about a little plan being hatched by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority: They’d like to begin charging motorists to use carpool lanes on stretches of three freeways in Los Angeles County reports the Los Angeles Times.

The idea is called congestion pricing and it would affect stretches of the 110 south of downtown and the 10 and 210 in San Gabriel Valley. Single-occupant vehicles would pay the most, with lower prices for carpoolers.

The price would vary depending on traffic. When demand is high, such as during rush hour, the cost goes up. Such programs are based on the premise that the laws of supply and demand can help smooth out traffic flow.

The MTA this week is sending an application for federal money to the U.S. Department of Transportation to put its plan in place. In the meantime, we asked readers for their thoughts . . .

And they all thought it was just a peachy idea, right?

No. Nearly every reader who e-mailed us said they hated it.

“Are city officials actually this stupid to suggest that the carpool lane become a toll lane? Punish the people that carpool and drive hybrids?” wrote David Adams of West Los Angeles.

“Most of the people who will use these new toll lanes probably won’t even pay the fee themselves,” wrote Jake Rikter, an ex-Angeleno who lives on Long Island, N.Y. “That expense will get passed on to the studio, the boutique hotel chain, the financial institution, the ‘premium’ sweat pants designer and anywhere else society’s wealthy are working.”

Read it here: Planned carpool fee is driving motorists mad