"For the rich" is simplistic thinking. $34.50 is the marginal cost (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_cost); https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_cost);

"For the rich" is simplistic thinking. $34.50 is the marginal cost (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_cost); https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_cost); in other words, the price paid at the time the decision to use the lane is made. Consider the situation of person who has an early meeting he needs to get to, or a job interview on some particular day that he wants to arrive at on-time. Or a person who needs to get their kid to a tournament on a particular day. Studies show that people of all incomes prefer this sort of thing for these situations (in particular, and perhaps surprising to some, lower income people with multiple jobs who need to get from one to the other on-time), because sometimes you'd rather pay and get something of a guaranteed travel time that risk arriving late. Also, you may choose to only use the lane in the mornings or afternoons, or certain days of the week, etc.