I-66 HO/T Lanes

[1995hoo]

The segment-based tolling on I-66 outside the Beltway is done in a strange manner. I've only used the express lanes there two three times, both on. The first two were on the same day last December on a trip to visit our favorite winery. We drove the full length of the lanes outside the Beltway both times. On the trip out, my E-ZPass statement showed two four charges; on the trip home, it showed a single charge. A single charge wouldn't surprise me if they were to aggregate them into one charge covering all segments the way they do on I-95, but if they do it that way, then it seems odd to have two charges on the way out. The third time was a trip home from Fairfax when I got onto I-66 at Nutley Street and then used the flyover to enter the HO/T lanes in order to access the Beltway express lanes. (The foregoing paragraph is heavily edited because when I reviewed my E-ZPass statement using my desktop PC, I found that the trip out involved four charges that didn't all show up in sequential order and I also found the trip home from Fairfax that I'd forgotten about.)

The map on their website shows three eastbound segments and two westbound segments. You get charged when you enter a segment, not when you exit it (which is a difference from how I-95 works). But I won't pretend to know as much as I would like about where the tolling points are because, as I said, I haven't been that way in a while. I'd like to go to the winery, but my wife can't drink wine right now for medical reasons and that kind of puts a damper on any such trip.


Edited to embed the map, since I couldn't do that when I was posting via iPad this weekend. Take note of where the gantries are. There are no exit gantries like there are on the Beltway.





Edited again to add: BTW, from looking at my E-ZPass statement on a desktop PC where I could hover the mouse pointer over the toll gantry listings, I can determine that location "415" refers to the ramp from the I-495 Inner Loop HO/T lanes to the westbound I-66 Outside the Beltway HO/T lanes, location "420" refers to the westbound segment transition at the gantry just west of Route 50, location "423" refers to the westbound segment transition at the gantry immediately west of Route 28, and location "425" refers to the westbound segment transition at the gantry just east of Route 234. Location "401" refers to the eastbound entry point at the I-66 Outside the Beltway lanes' far western end and location "411" refers to the eastbound segment transition at the gantry just east of Route 123. Location "412" appears as "EB Braided Ramp" and refers to the eastbound flyover entry located just west of the Dunn Loring Metro stop.

[bluecountry]

I continue to get random charges when I should not be charged, since I last posted it has happened another six times.
Do any of you have this issue?

[1995hoo]

We used the I-66 Outside the Beltway HO/T lanes yesterday on a trip to Linden; drove their full length each way. I was mildly surprised that the toll charges (a single aggregate charge in each direction, which is a change from what I'd noticed before) had both posted within 90 minutes of our arrival home, a fact that I noticed mainly because I got a charge card notification of a $70.00 replenishment charge for our E-ZPass account. Funny thing is, the Beltway tolls still haven't posted. Paying for I-66, in particular, was well worth it on the way out due to a traffic jam in the mainline just west of Fair Oaks due to debris in the road.

I note the erroneous US-123 shield mentioned earlier in this thread has not been fixed.

[bluecountry]

I really am surprised I am the only person gripping on here about erroneous charges from the I-66 Outside the Beltway Express Mobility Partners (EMP).
I have had to spend hours going through my statements, and since February I have been overcharged more than $300.
Prior to February, same car, same usage, I did not get charged.
I called EZPass, they told me it could be due to my car having tinted windows, or my car being 'higher end,' this in spite of the fact on the I-66 Inside the Beltway, I-495/95/395 Express lanes during those same trips in the same car I do not incur charges.
EZPass also appears to be just the 3rd party billing for the 66 EMP, as they said they have to forward complaints to VDOT, who has yet to respond (surprise, VDOT a government agency being slow and incompetent).
So I had to just do a bunch of chargebacks.

I STRONGLY encourage everybody to look closely at their EZPass statements and exams I-66 Outside the Beltway charges.
Clearly it appears this group, the 66 EMP, are nothing more than grifting frauds preying on unsuspecting motorists.
I mean for every 20 trips on 66 maybe eight get charged, at random, and of course they do not post for weeks, so it is very time consuming to pick up the fraud.

I wish there was somebody at the state or media I could alert to this, it really is appalling considering that west of Centreville, where there is no auuillory lane, I-66 is easily worse than before.
This 66 EMP are worse than Apple.

[bluecountry]

One more thing idiotic, so in Centreville where Rt 29 meets I-66, going SB on 29 approaching 66, you go from having three thru lanes and one turn lane to at 66 EB exit just two thru lanes at the underpass then after the underpass you get a quick slip ramp to 66 WB.
This causes all kinds of bottlenecks.
One would have thought when they redid the intersection, they would have made it so to 66 WB, you have a continuous auxiliary lane.
Nope, they redid the entire underpass, putting in a whole new grassy buffer on the right with a sidewalk...while keeping the same awful design.
WTF?
With the 66 project, all kinds of massive ancillary projects were done - like RT 28/66, and Balls Ford/PWC parkway; yet this one relatively minor project that was already being worked on anyway, they leave the same?
I bet this was done intentionally since from 29 in Centreville one cannot access the HOT lanes; whereas from Route 28 and the PW Parkway one can.
What an awful decision and just shows how incompetent and terrible/powerless local planning is.

[Alps]

One more thing idiotic, so in Centreville where Rt 29 meets I-66, going SB on 29 approaching 66, you go from having three thru lanes and one turn lane to at 66 EB exit just two thru lanes at the underpass then after the underpass you get a quick slip ramp to 66 WB.
This causes all kinds of bottlenecks.
One would have thought when they redid the intersection, they would have made it so to 66 WB, you have a continuous auxiliary lane.
Nope, they redid the entire underpass, putting in a whole new grassy buffer on the right with a sidewalk...while keeping the same awful design.
WTF?
With the 66 project, all kinds of massive ancillary projects were done - like RT 28/66, and Balls Ford/PWC parkway; yet this one relatively minor project that was already being worked on anyway, they leave the same?
I bet this was done intentionally since from 29 in Centreville one cannot access the HOT lanes; whereas from Route 28 and the PW Parkway one can.
What an awful decision and just shows how incompetent and terrible/powerless local planning is.

How long is the merge from the ramp signal? There are standards for lanes ending and I don't see enough room for that.

[bluecountry]

One more thing idiotic, so in Centreville where Rt 29 meets I-66, going SB on 29 approaching 66, you go from having three thru lanes and one turn lane to at 66 EB exit just two thru lanes at the underpass then after the underpass you get a quick slip ramp to 66 WB.
This causes all kinds of bottlenecks.
One would have thought when they redid the intersection, they would have made it so to 66 WB, you have a continuous auxiliary lane.
Nope, they redid the entire underpass, putting in a whole new grassy buffer on the right with a sidewalk...while keeping the same awful design.
WTF?
With the 66 project, all kinds of massive ancillary projects were done - like RT 28/66, and Balls Ford/PWC parkway; yet this one relatively minor project that was already being worked on anyway, they leave the same?
I bet this was done intentionally since from 29 in Centreville one cannot access the HOT lanes; whereas from Route 28 and the PW Parkway one can.
What an awful decision and just shows how incompetent and terrible/powerless local planning is.

How long is the merge from the ramp signal? There are standards for lanes ending and I don't see enough room for that.

On 29 SB, from the exit ramp to 66E where it goes from 4 (3 thru, 1 right turn) to 2 lanes, to the exit ramp for 66W it is ~1185 feet.  Absolutely no reason why they could not make the 3rd thru lane, which ends at the 66E ramp, an aux lane to 66W.  There is NO incoming traffic merging.
See location:  38.837964344508116, -77.44412651470758

[jmacswimmer]

It looks like US 29 in both directions at the I-66 underpass is under active construction as of June 2023?

[bluecountry]

It looks like US 29 in both directions at the I-66 underpass is under active construction as of June 2023?

It's done, just two lanes.

[bluecountry]

OK, so it is not just me, the I66 HOT lanes are truly a fraud.
Take a look at the reviews https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=I+66+EMP&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#
I have had the same issues.
I continue to get charged randomly, now I am out close to $400.
Just sent an email to VDOT below, who can I go to get this investigated?
I feel like the media needs to be on this, what a complete ripoff and highway robbery (literally).

Good Evening ____.

I have emailed you several times before on the I-66 EMP.  I worked on this project back in 2017/18 as a Transportation Planner II in ___.
Unfortunately I66 EMP has repeatedly charged me for trips when I should not have been due to HOV.
I have been using the Flex pass for years on 495/395/95 and never had one issue.
Since I66 EMP came around I have been overbilled close to $400, this is an ongoing issue.
I have reached out to EZPass and been told it could be my 'high end' car or my window tints, yet none of the other VA toll roads overcharge me.

This has cost me considerable time to fight, and I still am fighting.
Whom can I speak with to escalate?
I am trying to get WTOP/The Washington Post on this, I am appalled at the highway robbery (literally).
Please let me know.
Thanks.

Sincerely,

___

[deathtopumpkins]

OK, so it is not just me, the I66 HOT lanes are truly a fraud.
Take a look at the reviews https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=I+66+EMP&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#
I have had the same issues.
I continue to get charged randomly, now I am out close to $400.
Just sent an email to VDOT below, who can I go to get this investigated?
I feel like the media needs to be on this, what a complete ripoff and highway robbery (literally).

Have you considered just not using them?

[sprjus4]

OK, so it is not just me, the I66 HOT lanes are truly a fraud.
Take a look at the reviews https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=I+66+EMP&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#
I have had the same issues.
I continue to get charged randomly, now I am out close to $400.
Just sent an email to VDOT below, who can I go to get this investigated?
I feel like the media needs to be on this, what a complete ripoff and highway robbery (literally).

Have you considered just not using them?

If one is HOV with 2 more occupants other than the driver, with the E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode, one should be charged zero toll. He shouldn't have to not use them at all, and sit in traffic, when he is legally obligated to a free trip.

[1995hoo]

Notwithstanding one forum member's purported complaints (of which I remain skeptical for a host of reasons), the following that aired this week is the only news report I've seen about a problem with the I-66 tolling. It doesn't surprise me at all that this lady's problem happens, as unfortunate as it is, and I have no idea what the best solution is.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/mother-with-2-kids-fights-hov-fines-on-i-66-express-lanes/3414888/

[Great Lakes Roads]

Notwithstanding one forum member's purported complaints (of which I remain skeptical for a host of reasons), the following that aired this week is the only news report I've seen about a problem with the I-66 tolling. It doesn't surprise me at all that this lady's problem happens, as unfortunate as it is, and I have no idea what the best solution is.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/mother-with-2-kids-fights-hov-fines-on-i-66-express-lanes/3414888/

https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/investigations/more-complaints-about-ez-pass-tolls-on-i-66/65-bbb65956-03cd-41ad-875c-504a9c5b5974

[1995hoo]

Well, the Channel 9 report was largely fluff except for the couple shown, and their situation essentially mirrored what the lady in the Channel 4 report was saying. That situation–enforcement not picking up on small children in the back seat–has always been a difficulty, although in the days when the cops would set up on the ramps they could just look in the back seat, see the small children, and send you on your way. There has to be some solution to the "small children" issue, though I have no idea what it is.

As for the rest of the Channel 9 report, we have no facts about any of those cases, just that some people sent e-mail to Channel 9 complaining (and notice the whiny tone of the Reddit screenshot they showed). One guy in my neighborhood was grumbling about receiving a violation notice on the Beltway, but he admitted he just plain forgot to switch his transponder back after a trip on which he did have three people. I give him credit for that because a lot of people these days aren't willing to own up to their own mistakes. Instead you get grade-school level comments like, "E-ZPass sucks. And if you disagree, you suck too."

[bluecountry]

Notwithstanding one forum member's purported complaints (of which I remain skeptical for a host of reasons), the following that aired this week is the only news report I've seen about a problem with the I-66 tolling. It doesn't surprise me at all that this lady's problem happens, as unfortunate as it is, and I have no idea what the best solution is.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/mother-with-2-kids-fights-hov-fines-on-i-66-express-lanes/3414888/

https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/investigations/more-complaints-about-ez-pass-tolls-on-i-66/65-bbb65956-03cd-41ad-875c-504a9c5b5974

Oh come on

See the bold:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/investigations/ezpass-northern-virginia-traffic-i66-shawn-kiernan-jill-kiernan-jason-rufner-the-casey-group/65-d39595dd-3713-479b-934e-1bc8ed16a124?fbclid=IwAR102OBKbG82gcK4jV06USojciYaJFGHRzS9VJ0AXJh_UUGZP1j32S5OjMM

CHANTILLY, Va. – It was designed as a hassle-free way to beat the Northern Virginia traffic. But a Prince William County family says the new E-ZPass Flex system hasn't been too easy for them.

The couple claims the system overcharges them for tolls time after time.

"So right now, we're at about $700 in charges,"  said Shawn Kiernan, who said he keeps a spreadsheet of the tolls he and his wife have been charged, and which ones have been reversed by the company.

"I have spoken to the same, you know, E-ZPass representative multiple times,"  said Kiernan's wife, Jill. "So, I almost say hey, how you doing?"

Back in December the Virginia Department of Transportation announced the new program along Interstate 66 Outside the Beltway, and it was supposed to save some drivers time and money.

"We live out in Bristow, Virginia,"  Shawn Kiernan said. "And so my wife drives in with the kids to daycare every day to Chantilly. So, it was to our advantage when they put the hot lanes in because according to them, we could drive HOV 3 and get it for free."

HOV 3 allows vehicle's with three people in them to hop into HOV 3 lanes, for free. All a driver needs is a special transponder called E-ZPass Flex.

The Kiernan's say they spend about an hour on the phone every week trying to reverse HOV tolls they say they shouldn't have been charged, noting that E-ZPass has been good about reversing mistaken charges.

Despite that, a spokesperson representing Express Mobility Partners, the private company which contracts with VDOT to operate the E-ZPass Express Outside the Beltway system, disputed the Kiernan's were being overcharged as often as the couple claims.

"While we continue to work to improve our system, the fact is our process is highly unlikely to be inaccurate as often as is claimed,"  wrote Jason Rufner of the Casey Group in an email to WUSA9. "While no system is absolutely perfect, our technology plus our triple-blind human review has provided a high level of accuracy so far, and it does recognize both small children and infant car seats."

"Our team strives to give the benefit of the doubt to our customers whenever we can, and we always aim to side with our customers as much as possible given the available information,"  Rufner wrote.

But the Kiernan's stand by their story.


In fact, Shawn Keirnan told us E-ZPass employees told they weren't the only ones having this issue, telling WUSA9 when he went into the E-ZPass office in Manassas to complain he was told "they are having issues with their cameras picking up passengers and they are working to find a solution to the issue."

The Kiernan's theory is that the HOV scanners aren't picking up the couple's two small children, including an infant in a car seat.

Now they're worried about other Northern Virginia drivers who might not be catching mischarges.

"It's the folks that don't have the time to take out of their busy work day to like really go line by line through their account,"  Jill Kiernan said.

In a statement the Virginia Department of Transportation told WUSA9 "VDOT is aware there have been complaints by some users of the new 66 Express Lanes Outside the Beltway who indicated discrepancies about being charged tolls while traveling as High Occupancy Vehicles.

Jason Rufner seemed to dispute VDOT's statement as well, emailing WUSA9 they have "received only a few complaints about allegedly inaccurate toll charges."

That's certainly not what the Kiernan's say they're hearing when they call to get refunds.

"They say that they do get a few phone calls that they're helping people with this,"  she said. "So, I'm not the only one."

Rufner said "The Kiernan's reported experience is not the typical case"  and that the couple "have been advised on how to configure their E-ZPass Flex transponder for HOV travel — a major point of emphasis as we continue to educate drivers about this still relatively new roadway."

Jill Kiernan said that hasn't stopped the overcharges either.

"E-ZPass has recommended that I flick it on and off to make sure the system is reset but it does not seem to be helping,"  she said.

"I submitted a request for a refund just last week,"  said Shawn Kiernan during his interview with WUSA9 in July.

If you have experienced similar issues, WUSA9 wants to hear from you. Email Chief Investigative Reporter Eric Flack at eflack@wusa9.com or DM him at @EricFlackTV on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Are you kidding me?
What kind of business goes and says the system is not nearly as inaccurate as claimed, and what is a triple blind system?
My god, this is a full scale rip off.
BOOT I66EMP, and use the 495 contractor who never has this issue.

In the meantime, I switched my EZPass to AMEX, and every week I now do a chargeback, then after its granted I tell EZPass this is for I66EMP on x dates so they can deduct it from them.  In my decade of using tolls only I66EMP has done this, they are a fraud.

[1995hoo]

Here is my US 123 photo for those that cannot see bluecountry's photo:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10218062529315277&set=a.10217882628937880

We used the I-66 express lanes outside the Beltway today on a trip to Linden and on the way home I noticed the erroneous US-123 shield has been fixed.

[74/171FAN]

Here is my US 123 photo for those that cannot see bluecountry's photo:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10218062529315277&set=a.10217882628937880

We used the I-66 express lanes outside the Beltway today on a trip to Linden and on the way home I noticed the erroneous US-123 shield has been fixed.

I noticed that back in November.  (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219701695653411&set=a.10219701842977094)

[1995hoo]

I don't use Facebook, so I wouldn't have seen your posting there.

[74/171FAN]

I don't use Facebook, so I wouldn't have seen your posting there.

I actually had posted it in another thread. (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=18607.msg2887313#msg2887313)

[1995hoo]

I don't use Facebook, so I wouldn't have seen your posting there.

I actually had posted it in another thread. (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=18607.msg2887313#msg2887313)

Ehhh, I haven't been reading that one either because I didn't have anything to add there. Either way, no harm done. Normally we use I-66 westbound several times a year to go to our favorite winery, but last year we didn't make the trip much because my wife had a cardiac procedure and wasn't supposed to drink wine. That's over with now, so we went out there yesterday.

We were kind of lucky on the way out. I was in the express lanes and the mainline slammed to a halt at Route 123. Signs were warning of an incident ahead that had "all lanes blocked." As we approached Route 50, I realized that "all lanes" did indeed mean all westbound lanes, express included, so I exited there, looped around on West Ox Road past Fair Oaks Mall, and re-entered the highway from Monument Drive (maybe a five-minute delay total due to hitting two red lights while detouring). Damndest sight I've ever seen on there, a completely empty westbound I-66 because nobody was on the road (due to it being blocked) until we passed the Fairfax County Parkway a mile or so to the west and other traffic entered.

It turns out some people in a stolen car thought they were driving the General Lee. Then later in the day, one of the passengers in that car stole an ambulance at Fairfax Hospital, where he was being treated.

[bluecountry]

Does anybody know inside the beltway what is going on with 66 construction just east of Glebe Street and the Rossyln tunnel?  I do not get why 66 is not 6 lanes just east of Glebe Road as the underpass of the NSF has ample space, I hope this is being fixed.

[The Ghostbuster]

Interstate 66 inside the Interstate 495 beltway had to be constructed as a four-lane highway for it to get built at all through Arlington. There is no way the locals would allow an expansion of 66 to six lanes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_66. The congestion-pricing plan Interstate 66 implemented is as good as it is going to get for that inside-the-beltway 66 corridor.