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PHOENIX — Gov. Janet Napolitano is throwing cold water on the idea of taking some freeway lanes and making them, well, not free any more.

The governor on Wednesday said she doesn't think turning car-pool and bus lanes over to those willing to pay a toll will do much to reduce traffic congestion.

"I don't think they were built with toll roads in mind, she said. "They were built to move traffic."

But Sen. Pamela Gorman, R-Anthem, said Napolitano is missing the point. She said moving some single-occupant vehicles to underutilized car-pool lanes would ease traffic for everyone.

Gorman is one of the sponsors of legislation directing the state Department of Transportation to solicit bids to convert car-pool lanes on Arizona 51, which runs from downtown Phoenix to the north side, to toll lanes.

The legislation also would let ADOT convert any other existing or future car-pool lanes to toll lanes. "That's the wrong way to go," Napolitano said.

The governor has never been a big proponent of toll roads. But she also has left the door open for new highways to be built as toll roads, whether publicly or privately run, saying the state needs to look at all options for new roads.

"But converting existing roads to toll roads I don't think is appropriate," Napolitano said.

Gorman argued the state has miles of car-pool lanes that carry minimal traffic, and moving traffic from the overcrowded main roadway lanes would cut congestion. But she acknowledged some stretches of car-pool lanes already are near capacity at certain hours.

Napolitano's main push, however, is in another direction. She wants lawmakers to put a measure on the ballot, either this year or next, to generate more money not only for roads but also for alternatives — including a Tucson-Phoenix rail link that she favors.