Posted on 03/05/2007 3:57:04 AM PST by FLOutdoorsman
Commuters who want to take proposed high occupancy toll lanes may pay high cost
Commuters using planned high occupancy toll lanes on Interstates 95 and 395 could pay as much as $1 per mile to drive on certain segments.
The prices are in a project proposal from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the private companies that want to build the lanes, according to The Washington Post.
The document was submitted Friday to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
It was unknown what the prices would be for motorists using Interstate 95 HOT lanes south of Prince William County.
The two companies, Fluor Virginia Inc. and Transurban USA, quoted an average price of 27 cents a mile in their original project proposal. That means a 56-mile trip from Massaponax to Arlington would cost an average of $15.12, one way, for cars that do not qualify for high occupancy vehicle lanes that require three people per car.
But that's just an estimate, cautioned Transurban's senior vice president Michael Kulper in October. The toll would rise and fall depending on the time of day, day of the week and proximity to Washington. The closer to Washington, the higher the toll is likely to be, he said then.
"We're required under federal law to manage this facility to ensure a congestion-free trip, so the toll has to vary to achieve that outcome," Kulper said.
The companies plan to add a third lane to the current two-lane HOV corridor running from Arlington to Dumfries. From Dumfries to Massaponax, Fluor/Transurban wants to build two combination HOV and HOT lanes.
Cars with three or more occupants would still ride for free, but vehicles carrying one or two people would pay a toll.
The companies would also build six park-and-ride lots in the I-95 corridor--three of them south of Dumfries, according to the original proposal--and enhance 12 bus stations.
The original proposal put the project's price tag at $913 million.
The companies signed an interim agreement with VDOT in October. It allows the project's engineering and study phase to proceed. Virginia is splitting the cost of the $53 million study phase with Fluor/Transurban.
The state is taking a risk, because there is no guarantee the project will be built. That will depend on the outcome of a plethora of studies to be completed. They include an environmental and financial review, as well as transit and traffic studies.
Another contract must be signed by all parties before design and construction would begin.
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
I put in working link. Dunno why it wasn't posted.
Here again:
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/032007/03042007/264811
At times I had to drive in/around Washington on I-95. As I sat in miles of backed up traffic I was wondering if the side streets were moving faster.
I've seen those HOV lanes in between the regular lanes. Appear to be one way in during morning hours and the other way at night.
Just another way to dig money out of working peoples pocket.
If Al Gore had his way, he'd call them carbon lanes, and would charge a $1 a mile to drive on them. Minus of course, any carbon credits you may have.
I better shut up, I may be giving these carbon-cops ideas...
AFAIK, there are no toll roads in Arkansas, but I've driven them a few times in other states. I've always hated them for many reasons, including the need to have cash at all times when driving.
I know the roads aren't free, but they've always seemed freer when you don't have to pay by the mile.
If I had to pay $1.00 per mile, I'm pretty sure I'd find a way around it. I've never paid more than a token fee on the toll roads I've driven. 'Course, it's been a few years.
The rich will pay and pay and pay.
The difference is that real working people will find two passengers. The Rich will prefer to travel in regal silence.
You are correct that they reverse direction ~
In fairness to the article and the proposal, folks won't be charged to drive in the HOV lanes if the vehicles themselves are highly occupied. It's only when a single driver, with no or only one passenger, wants to use them that he'll/she'll be charged.
Beats trying to use store mannequins as your passengers! I used to live in DC, and yes, this had happened. A few people were caught, but several got away with it.
Here in Northern Virginia they forgot to build them so they don't move at all! (Bwahahahahahahahaha)
Oh yeah, this will really speed up traffic.... all those cars having to stop and pay tolls.
There will be electronic systems in place that make stopping unnecessary.
Who wouldn't enjoy a relaxing drive down a winding country lane in Vienna on a Friday? I am so glad I moved from Maryland. I miss the area but not the traffic!
Yes, and then they will use the location and ID equipment to assess speeding penalties when your time between checkpoints is less than you should have traveled, if you were driving at or below the posted speed.
Well, that's an improvement. Nothing like erratically driven BMWs and Escalades to screw up the flow of traffic.
"In fairness to the article and the proposal, folks won't be charged to drive in the HOV lanes if the vehicles themselves are highly occupied"
For now.
Toll roads are an abomination. In Pennsylvania, one of the reason so many were stranded for so long is because you have fewer exits/entrances on a toll road, to cut down on the number of manned toll booths. They actually took out some exits to convert a free highway to a toll road. Another problem I have with toll roads is the traffic jam at a toll plaza. Only an idiot would come up with the stupidest, fuel wasting, polluting, time wasting way of paying taxes: idle your car while you wait to pay a toll.
People don't like being tracked and given tickets, though....
This is already happening in places. Get from one toll booth to the next too fast....
Actually, even HOV 3 and buses will eventually have to pay. Fluor won't talk about it...even when pressed. Its in their plan found on the VDOT website. Impotent VA Gen. Assy. failed to pass legislation protecting HOV 3 against HOT charges. It is some comfort to me knowing hybrid drivers not only paid a premium to buy their cars, but will eventually have to pay HOT charges too. VA taxpayers will even have to pay for the bloated studies. Its not about efficiency. Its not about environment. Its about money. Follow the money.
We have no secondary road "system" at all, so the primary roads handle all the traffic.
This is not satisfactory to a handful of remarkably wealthy people who think they should have their own roads. Their focus group said "build hot toll", so there it is.
Remains to be seen if they ever use the "hot lane".
Toll roads have a bad habit of going bankrupt around here anyway.
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