Northern Virginia HOT Lanes

[1995hoo]

Those purple/white dashed lines used in other E-ZPass facilities would come in handy.

Agreed. They do plan to put down pavement markings using the E-ZPass logo, but they have to wait until the weather warms up to above 45°F for more than a brief period. This weekend sounds like it definitely won't be that time!

[02 Park Ave]

Are the HO/T lanes on the I-95 being kept open during W.S. Octavia?  If they are, who is performing the work necessary to keep them open?

[1995hoo]

What the heck is "W.S. Octavia"???

[02 Park Ave]

"W.S. Octavia" ist The Weather Chanel's name for the current snow storm.

[1995hoo]

The Weather Channel needs to quit it with that garbage. Winter storms do not have names.

[tdindy88]

People need to stop enabling them. You only feed TWC by using their names for winter storms.

[jeffandnicole]

I'm pretty sure they don't care.  Hell, they're still fuming at losing DirecTV, and seemingly ignored all the negativity during the campaign when they asked people to write in to TWC and DirecTV about how much the station means to them, which was one of the primary reasons DirecTV went their own direction for a channel focused on weather.  You don't want barely-weather-related programming?  You don't want us to name winter storms?  You hate our website where we scare you with some weather event nationwide and host numerous National Enquirer type stories?  Well, we'll give you MORE of what you don't want!  Wait, why won't DirecTV take us back???

[1995hoo]

An e-mail from Transurban this morning contained this graphic explaining how fees for unpaid tolls escalate. I thought this breaks it down fairly well. As I said before, I can't begin to fathom how people simply ignore the invoices.

[cpzilliacus]

An e-mail from Transurban this morning contained this graphic explaining how fees for unpaid tolls escalate. I thought this breaks it down fairly well. As I said before, I can't begin to fathom how people simply ignore the invoices.

Thanks for sharing this.

[cpzilliacus]

The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg): Getting there: Slugs and Express Lanes make an odd but nice couple

It makes perfect sense, but the growing synergy between the Interstate 95 express lanes and slugs has created one odd couple.

On the one hand, there is the strictly managed I—95 toll system. On the other hand, there is the unofficial commuter group that runs on its own unmanaged system with unwritten rules.

But the coupling is obviously working, as the potential emergence of a new slug line forming at the Staffordboro commuter lot in Garrisonville indicates.

[1995hoo]

I always thought the slugging community's complaints about the HO/T lanes didn't make a lot of sense. They feared drivers would stop picking up slugs. I found that illogical because it seems to me if you're already picking up slugs, there's no reason why you'd stop doing so if it means you can get a free ride. That is, you clearly don't mind taking strangers in your car and putting up with people who wear too much perfume or have bad BO or whatever, so the fact that you can now pay a toll to avoid picking up slugs shouldn't really be much disincentive to continuing to pick people up except maybe on a day when you're running late.

If anything, slugging ought to expand to later hours if both drivers and riders can be confident of finding each other outside the old HOV hours. That's the sort of thing that just takes time to develop.

[cpzilliacus]

InsideNoVA.com: Editorial: 95 Express Lanes: So far, so good?

One month in and the 95 Express Lanes from Alexandria to Stafford are bringing in $103,000 in daily weekday revenue and logging just over 37,000 weekday trips.

And guess what? Despite the complaints about highway robbery, it seems the toll lanes really are easing traffic on Interstate 95 between Alexandria and Stafford.

According to data released by Transurban, the company that built the lanes, the average dynamic toll price on the 95 Express Lanes is $4.01. That price, of course, varies wildly — and has gone as high as $9.75 for just a few miles. The dynamic tolls are based on demand, so the more drivers who bail from the main lanes, the higher the prices go.

But for many weary commuters, it's worth it.

"My nightly commute went from an hour or more to 30 minutes. I'll pay the money to drive at a steady pace,"  Tabetha Phelps Fletcher wrote on InsideNoVa's Facebook page. "The most I've paid is little over $6 from Springfield to Dale Boulevard and that's on a bad day.‬‬"

[Mapmikey]

After about 25 commutes since the lanes opened (I work 4-10s and I also took two weeks off in Jan) I have the following observations...

Before, at least half my afternoon commute times reached 2 hrs and I was lucky to get any around the 1:45 mark.  Since, I've had zero 2-hr commutes and 90 minutes is achievable most days.

I have gotten stuck in a queue trying to exit the express lanes at the south end exactly once.  Most of the time the merge/weave with the main line is done at 40-45 mph.

Traffic south of the merge is no longer wide open like it used to be.  Average speeds down to Exit 133 US 17 are 30 mph.  The mainline runs much better from Woodbridge to Triangle and from there to Garrisonville is a mixed bag.

In the morning, the delays at Garrisonville approaching the entrance are minimal (though the Fredericksburg paper says later in the morning it gets worse).  The NB delay I initially noticed from Exit 158 VA 294 south to Exit 156 (or further south) is apparently the new dynamic and I actually use the toll lanes from Cardinal Dr to the Beltway now.

The cost for me, as I also use the 495 toll lanes in the afternoon, runs $15-20 per day but it is worth it to me.

I will be going to work on a Friday next week for the first time since the lanes opened...wondering if Friday afternoons are different from my current experiences.

Mapmikey

[cpzilliacus]

WTOP Radio: Judge delays ruling on landmark Express Lanes case

FAIRFAX, Va. – A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge heard oral arguments on Friday on a landmark case about the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, but told lawyers that he won't issue a written ruling for a few weeks.

Chief Judge Dennis J. Smith is examining the law behind the Express Lanes and how Transurban enforces the law to determine whether it is constitutional, legal or within his interpretation of the statute.

Defendant Toni Cooley is facing more than $2,200 in fees and penalties after unpaid toll trips in late 2012.  She accrued 11 unpaid trips because she commutes on the toll road, often twice a day to and from work.  Cooley paid the original tolls within 60 days, but refused to pay administrative fees and civil penalties.

"I think these fees are very excessive.  You don't know your transponder is not working properly and these penalties keep adding up and up,"  says Cooley.

Transurban originally charged her with $10,692 in fines, but eventually lowered their request to $2,200.

Cooley's attorney Marla Diaz argued before the court that the fines were excessive and violated both the 8th Amendment and the Virginia Constitution.  Smith questioned Transurban attorney Caleb Kershner on the matter, although it's unclear which way he'd rule.

[Mapmikey]

Those purple/white dashed lines used in other E-ZPass facilities would come in handy.

Agreed. They do plan to put down pavement markings using the E-ZPass logo, but they have to wait until the weather warms up to above 45°F for more than a brief period. This weekend sounds like it definitely won't be that time!

The pavement markings were put down day before yesterday.  They are in 2 places:  1 mile and 3/4 mile from the entrance

Mapmikey

[Mapmikey]

Finally had to go to work on a Friday yesterday for the first time since the express lanes were opened...

Traffic on mainline 95 was terrible...nearly continuously backed up SB from Exit 158 to Exit 140.  I took the toll lanes and sailed down to Dumfries.  The queue for the end of the toll lanes began just south of the last exit (to access SR 619 Triangle/Quantico).  So I elected to use this flyover.  In previous experience with the HOV lanes was that once they had backed up a couple miles it was faster to approach the merging area of the HOV/regular lanes using the mainline 95 lanes instead.  Turns out this is still true with the extended express lanes.


My overall trip home was right at 2 hrs but Friday commutes using only mainline 495 and 95 south were routinely running 2.5-3 hrs before.  So the express lanes still benefit folks on Fridays and my commute remains mostly magical.

Incidentally, the toll on the southernmost segment of I-95 (Dale City to Garrisonville) was $11 when I passed through (only $2 to get off at the SR 619 flyover), so the fact that a long queue exists seems to help drive up the toll.  I for one would be annoyed to have paid $9 to have sat in a slow 6 mile line to get out.  So I hope mostly carpoolers were the ones who did that...

In somewhat related news, all the ramps in the Springfield Interchange 95/395/495 are now labeled with markers that look like standard interstate mile markers.  instead of 'MILE' it says 'RAMP' and instead of a mile number there is a letter.  The letters go up to at least T.

Mapmikey

[cpzilliacus]

Fitch Ratings: Fitch Affirms 95 Express Lanes, LLC's Revs at 'BBB-'; Outlook Stable

The ratings reflect the newly opened managed lanes (ML) project's location within a congested commuting corridor along highly urbanized counties in Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area. In Fitch's view, regional macroeconomic demographics remain sound and early ML ramp-up performance continues to support prospects to yield toll revenues in-line with Fitch cases at closing. The project's $35 million ramp-up reserve and the flexibility offered by the debt structure provide added protection during ramp-up. The rating affirmations reflect the completion of construction works at the end of December 2014, on schedule and on budget.

Solid Service Area with Strong Commuter Base - Revenue Risk (Volume): Midrange

The strategic location of the project in a service area with high wealth levels and limited viable alternatives for commuters is a key strength. The general purpose lanes have high levels of congestion in peak commuting periods. While MLs projects are more sensitive to economic downturn, this risk is partially offset by strong regional demographics, high congestion levels and the relative stability of traffic volumes during the recent recession. MLs operate in the same direction as, and on similar schedule to, the previous reversible high occupancy lanes (HOV).Growing familiarity with MLs in the area in conjunction with only moderate increase in overall capacity (about 17%) somewhat mitigates ramp-up risk attributed to multiple access and egress points along the project and lane reversibility. While the project is exposed to elevated volumes of toll-free vehicles with three passengers or more (HOV3+), this risk is partially mitigated by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) compensation provisions when certain thresholds are exceeded.

[1995hoo]

Dr. Gridlock reports Transurban are tweaking the messages on the signs prior to the flyover near the exit for Triangle: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/04/03/easter-getaway-rain-causing-i-95-congestion/

....

If the congestion worsened, making the choice less of a judgment call, the express lanes controllers might intensify the sign message to something like, "Exit now to avoid delays."

They began using the sign for this purpose only this week, and they're still working on the best language to use in the message. They want the advisory to be clear and effective for drivers. Michael McGurk, spokesman for the express lanes, said the company would appreciate driver feedback on the most effective and helpful wording.

....

[Mapmikey]

....

If the congestion worsened, making the choice less of a judgment call, the express lanes controllers might intensify the sign message to something like, "Exit now to avoid delays."

They began using the sign for this purpose only this week, and they're still working on the best language to use in the message. They want the advisory to be clear and effective for drivers. Michael McGurk, spokesman for the express lanes, said the company would appreciate driver feedback on the most effective and helpful wording.

....

This exact message was on the VMS yesterday.  Seems pretty clear to me.

Mapmikey

[oscar]

Per today's Washington Post, a Fairfax County judge this week dismissed on appeal a Transurban suit against a commuter on the I-495 express lanes for non-payment of tolls.

As described by the Post (I haven't read the judge's ruling). the issue was whether the statute of limitations was two years as Transurban claimed, or rather just one year (which would leave Transurban out of luck in this instance). The judge said Transurban had only one year, so the commuter was let off the hook.

This might immediately benefit other commuters who've also been sued by Transurban, but also push Transurban to file suit more quickly against other drivers to make sure it doesn't file too late.

[jeffandnicole]

Per today's Washington Post, a Fairfax County judge this week dismissed on appeal a Transurban suit against a commuter on the I-495 express lanes for non-payment of tolls.

As described by the Post (I haven't read the judge's ruling). the issue was whether the statute of limitations was two years as Transurban claimed, or rather just one year (which would leave Transurban out of luck in this instance). The judge said Transurban had only one year, so the commuter was let off the hook.

This might immediately benefit other commuters who've also been sued by Transurban, but also push Transurban to file suit more quickly against other drivers to make sure it doesn't file too late.

I'm having a bit of trouble understanding what the 'criminal' part is in failing to pay a traffic fline.

Actually, this may be bad news for commuters, not good news.  If they decide that failure to pay fines are a criminal matter, that stuff can go on your permanent record if Transurban has to bring you into court and the judge finds in favor of Transurban.   If you apply for a job, you're supposed to list if you've been found guilty of a crime.  They don't ask on applications for driving penalties - which are civil in nature.  If you get in legal trouble later, they'll going to want to know your criminal history.  Civil fines for not having EZ Pass would've been overlooked.  Now they may be taken into consideration.

So now instead of it being a civil penalty for failure to pay tolls, it may now be regarded as a criminal matter for toll evasion, stealing, etc.

[oscar]

Per today's Washington Post, a Fairfax County judge this week dismissed on appeal a Transurban suit against a commuter on the I-495 express lanes for non-payment of tolls.

As described by the Post (I haven't read the judge's ruling). the issue was whether the statute of limitations was two years as Transurban claimed, or rather just one year (which would leave Transurban out of luck in this instance). The judge said Transurban had only one year, so the commuter was let off the hook.

This might immediately benefit other commuters who've also been sued by Transurban, but also push Transurban to file suit more quickly against other drivers to make sure it doesn't file too late.

I'm having a bit of trouble understanding what the 'criminal' part is in failing to pay a traffic fline.

Actually, this may be bad news for commuters, not good news.  If they decide that failure to pay fines are a criminal matter, that stuff can go on your permanent record if Transurban has to bring you into court and the judge finds in favor of Transurban.   If you apply for a job, you're supposed to list if you've been found guilty of a crime.  They don't ask on applications for driving penalties - which are civil in nature.  If you get in legal trouble later, they'll going to want to know your criminal history.  Civil fines for not having EZ Pass would've been overlooked.  Now they may be taken into consideration.

So now instead of it being a civil penalty for failure to pay tolls, it may now be regarded as a criminal matter for toll evasion, stealing, etc.

Not having read the ruling, it sounds like commuters might end up having it both ways. They would benefit from the shorter criminal statute of limitations, but since Transurban can't conduct criminal prosecutions (only the state can do that), its lawsuits won't affect anyone's criminal record.

Transurban might be able to appeal, all the way to the state Supreme Court if necessary. It ain't over 'til it's over.

[cpzilliacus]

This might immediately benefit other commuters who've also been sued by Transurban, but also push Transurban to file suit more quickly against other drivers to make sure it doesn't file too late.

Or maybe just settle-up with these people?

[NJRoadfan]

Or, learn how to bill people. Matching "no read" plate photos with the E-ZPass database to debit the correct account like most other toll agencies do would be a good start. This technology isn't new, this business of running a toll road isn't new, they should have figured this out already. This is likely one instance that public toll road authorities have an advantage, they can usually suspend motor vehicle registrations (in their jurisdiction) for non-payment.

[cpzilliacus]

Or, learn how to bill people. Matching "no read" plate photos with the E-ZPass database to debit the correct account like most other toll agencies do would be a good start. This technology isn't new, this business of running a toll road isn't new, they should have figured this out already.

Agreed on all points.  MDTA has been doing it since the first section of Md. 200 opened some years ago.

This is likely one instance that public toll road authorities have an advantage, they can usually suspend motor vehicle registrations (in their jurisdiction) for non-payment.

And while suspending registration is a hassle (especially if someone wants to renew their registration and cannot), it is a lot less expensive than taking people to court.