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Northern Virginia HOT Lanes

Started by mtantillo, August 14, 2012, 11:02:35 PM

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cpzilliacus

Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2012, 02:58:03 PM
I concur with the pavement marking issue.

Thank you.  It may have gotten fixed last night (apparently VDOT and Transurban were going to be working on the pavement markings in the overnight hours last night). 

Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2012, 02:58:03 PM
I also see a problem with the signing, which may explain some of the driver reaction issues.  Instead of showing the pricing, the 1/2 mile lane assignment sign should have simply said Entrance - like the one at the gore point does, which you can't see really well far in advance because of the curve in the road and the fact the 'gore' sign is just at the start of the divider and not before it.  Another overhead 'Entrance" lane assignment sign a quarter mile before the split would also help matters.

I agree.  Now they did reprogram one of the variable message signs (Hoo posted an image showing that), which probably helped a little.

But an "extra" sign saying "If you stay in these two lanes, you will be in the HOV/Toll lanes soon" would be nice.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.


cpzilliacus

TOLLROADSnews: After swerve incidents VA/495 Express Lanes make modifications to southern entry to give drivers more time to choose

QuoteNorthern Virginia's new toll express lanes on the Capital Beltway are getting modifications to the southern entry in night-time work for the next several days. This in response to a spate of swerving incidents that included six crashes in the first 72 hours of operation of the 495 Express Lanes (XLs.)

QuoteThe first modifications done November 18/19 overnight provided more warning of split and entry to the toll express lanes by:

Quote- adding additional colored reflectors to the channelizing barrier posts

Quote- changing digital messages on electronic signs to read "new traffic pattern"  and "use caution"  and "two left lanes express lanes only"

QuoteNovember 19/20 overnight they are extending the diverge area and informing drivers sooner of the express lanes entrance.

QuoteHeading north from Springfield Interchange, they are changing the pavement striping to begin transitional dotted line right back  in the area where the Springfield Interchange ramps meet the Beltway nearly a mile south of the original toll express lanes entrance. This striping should indicate to drivers more clearly that the two left lanes will turn into express lanes to give them more time to think about whether they'll choose the toll express or free lanes.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

1995hoo

I drove around the Inner Loop to Annandale this afternoon. No incidents. I paid special attention to the lane arrangement as I drove and it's readily apparent that NO driver who is not heading for the Express Lanes has any reason to be in the FAR left lane, as that lane does not come from the Wilson Bridge. Instead, it's that strange lane cpzilliacus and I were discussing that splits off out of the HOV ramps to I-95 and rejoins the Beltway on the left under I-395. It's probably fair to say 95% of drivers or more will never use that particular part of it because of where it is: You have to take the left exit marked "Restricted Lanes" but then bear right. Most people won't know it's there and it doesn't really serve much purpose for most people.

So at this point, the "left lane" of the regular Beltway after the I-95 flyover splits off becomes the second lane from the left.

Then after you pass I-395, the new far left lane that comes from the HOV exit is joined by the other end of the HOV ramps in a standard acceleration lane that merges into the far left lane.

After that, the far left lane becomes the left Express Lane and the second lane from the left does so as well.

The only people who should be in a position where they need to move right are the ones who were in the "left lane" after the I-95 flyover, i.e., the ones who are in the second lane from the left. It becomes the right Express Lane. If the skip lines are redone through that area, as the media have implied will be done, then it will clarify matters, although it also bears noting that the 3/4 mile advance overhead sign now says, in big orange letters, "2 LEFT LANES/EXPRESS LANES ONLY," and the advance signs show those two lanes are "ONLY" (in black-on-yellow) for the Express Lanes.

So what happens on the Inner Loop is: Two lanes coming from I-95 and I-395 become the two right lanes and continue to the general-purpose roadway. Two lanes coming from Alexandria become the two middle lanes and continue to the general-purpose roadway. The single left lane coming from Alexandria becomes the right Express Lane, and the single lane coming from the new I-95/I-395 HOV ramps becomes the far left lane and eventually the left Express Lane.

On the whole, it's a pretty sensible design. Correcting the location of the skip line between the far left lane and the second lane from the left would be the major correction needed, and I heard on the radio that next week they'll paint some "E-ZPass Express Only" markings on the pavement.

In this picture, the BMW SUV is in the left lane of the three; the lane that comes from the HOV ramps is to his left and is separated by four solid white lines (no pylons in this area). The only reason why any normal driver would be in that far left lane is if he's coming from the HOV ramps, since just about nobody will use the strange single lane to the left of the I-95 southbound flyover. Sorry there's so much dashboard. I had my sun visor tilted too low.

The lane I'm using in this picture becomes the second lane from the left in the general-purpose lanes.

"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

1995hoo

Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 20, 2012, 04:11:46 PM
Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2012, 02:58:03 PM
I concur with the pavement marking issue.

Thank you.  It may have gotten fixed last night (apparently VDOT and Transurban were going to be working on the pavement markings in the overnight hours last night). 

....

Not as of about 1:30 this afternoon. The last picture I posted is a video capture; the video continues after that and the striping is the same as yesterday.

If they do not get to it tonight, don't expect to see anything until next week. Roadwork is suspended at noon tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I do not expect anything to happen tonight because Dr. Gridlock told me that Virginia's specified lane marking material requires an air temperature of 45°F or higher when it is installed or else it does not adhere properly. I believe it's suppose to be in the upper 30s tonight.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

roadman

#154
Not just VDOT - A minimum 45 degrees application temperature for pavement markings is pretty much standard for most state DOTs.

And, I'm curious what material VDOT uses for markings on their Interstates (and I hope it's not paint).  Most states like Massachusetts that now provide friction-course pavements (the coarse "black popcorn" asphalt mix) on their Interstates and freeways no longer specify thermoplastic markings for these roads.  The interaction of the hot material with the coarse pavement results in premature failure of the pavement bond where the markings are applied.  This normally manifests itself during the first good snowfall, when plow blades hit the raised marking and end up pulling up chunks of asphalt.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

mtantillo

Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2012, 06:43:29 PM
Not just VDOT - A minimum 45 degrees application temperature for pavement markings is pretty much standard for most state DOTs.

And, I'm curious what material VDOT uses for markings on their Interstates (and I hope it's not paint).  Most states like Massachusetts that now provide friction-course pavements (the coarse "black popcorn" asphalt mix) on their Interstates and freeways no longer specify thermoplastic markings for these roads.  The interaction of the hot material with the coarse pavement results in premature failure of the pavement bond where the markings are applied.  This normally manifests itself during the first good snowfall, when plow blades hit the raised marking and end up pulling up chunks of asphalt.

Virginia uses "wet night reflective preformed plastic tape" (Type B Class 6 in VDOT road and bridge specs)

Beltway

#156
Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2012, 06:43:29 PM
Not just VDOT - A minimum 45 degrees application temperature for pavement markings is pretty much standard for most state DOTs.

And, I'm curious what material VDOT uses for markings on their Interstates (and I hope it's not paint).  Most states like Massachusetts that now provide friction-course pavements (the coarse "black popcorn" asphalt mix) on their Interstates and freeways no longer specify thermoplastic markings for these roads.  The interaction of the hot material with the coarse pavement results in premature failure of the pavement bond where the markings are applied.  This normally manifests itself during the first good snowfall, when plow blades hit the raised marking and end up pulling up chunks of asphalt.

"Thermoplastic resin material has various uses, including being a durable pavement marking material. Thermoplastic is a blend of solid ingredients that become liquid when heated. It comes from the manufacturer intermixed with some refl ective beads. When heated and properly agitated, the dry thermoplastic compound becomes a homogenized liquid. Refl ective beads are intermixed and suspended in this liquid. Applied at the proper temperature, the thermoplastic melts into the upper surface of the HMA pavement forming a thermal bond. When applying thermoplastic to PCC, a primer/sealer from the thermoplastic manufacturer shall be used to ensure a proper bond to the surface.

Thermoplastic provides a visible, durable pavement marking because of its thickness and the use of intermixed and drop-on beads.

http://virginiadot.org/business/resources/Materials/MCS_Study_Guides/bu-mat-PaveMarkCh4.pdf
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

mtantillo

Thermoplastic is rare on freeways in VA.  The inlaid B-6 tape is much more reflective and durable than thermoplastic. 

The document that requires the tape on limited access roads is Traffic Engineering Memo TE-261.

vdeane

They could also fix the striping to comply with the MUTCD.  Dashed means "to one side exits, the other through".  The dashed line here seems to be random and means nothing, given that it's the two lanes that become the HOT lanes, not the one.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

1995hoo

I haven't been on the Beltway today and probably won't be. Have the day off and have been cooking for tomorrow, which meant drinking the leftover wine from one recipe, checking the rum for another....  Anyway, anyone know if they tweaked the markings? It is downright WARM out there today, so one hopes they might have done something this morning after rush hour ended.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Beltway

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 21, 2012, 12:41:53 PM
I haven't been on the Beltway today and probably won't be. Have the day off and have been cooking for tomorrow, which meant drinking the leftover wine from one recipe, checking the rum for another....  Anyway, anyone know if they tweaked the markings? It is downright WARM out there today, so one hopes they might have done something this morning after rush hour ended.

The continuous marking for the express lanes today start near I-395 on the inner loop.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

roadman

Thanks for the feedback on the markings.  One final question - has VDOT started recessing the markings?  That appears to be the way to maximize durability, especially in a snow state.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

Stephane Dumas

#162
Here one more picture spotted at the Beyond DC blog showing I-495 HOT lanes northbound from the Lee Hwy (US-29) overpass http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=4088

Edit: Some folks had already filmed some videos


1995hoo

I checked my E-ZPass statement online this morning and I see the toll gantries associated with the Shirley Highway HOV ramps are active, but they don't make any difference in the amount of the toll. When you use the 495 Express Lanes, the statement shows the entry and exit points (similar to a "ticket system" toll road) and if you pass under the HOV ramp gantries it says "H95" for the entry/exit point. It appears to say "ELS" if you enter/exit at the lanes' southern end without passing under the HOV gantries.

No particular significance to this post, but I thought I'd mention it because I was the person who was interested in the issue in the past.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

mtantillo

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 26, 2012, 12:58:53 PM
I checked my E-ZPass statement online this morning and I see the toll gantries associated with the Shirley Highway HOV ramps are active, but they don't make any difference in the amount of the toll. When you use the 495 Express Lanes, the statement shows the entry and exit points (similar to a "ticket system" toll road) and if you pass under the HOV ramp gantries it says "H95" for the entry/exit point. It appears to say "ELS" if you enter/exit at the lanes' southern end without passing under the HOV gantries.

No particular significance to this post, but I thought I'd mention it because I was the person who was interested in the issue in the past.

It is significant to me, as I was interested too!  Thanks for the info. 

cpzilliacus

Quote from: mtantillo on November 26, 2012, 01:04:01 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 26, 2012, 12:58:53 PM
I checked my E-ZPass statement online this morning and I see the toll gantries associated with the Shirley Highway HOV ramps are active, but they don't make any difference in the amount of the toll. When you use the 495 Express Lanes, the statement shows the entry and exit points (similar to a "ticket system" toll road) and if you pass under the HOV ramp gantries it says "H95" for the entry/exit point. It appears to say "ELS" if you enter/exit at the lanes' southern end without passing under the HOV gantries.

No particular significance to this post, but I thought I'd mention it because I was the person who was interested in the issue in the past.

It is significant to me, as I was interested too!  Thanks for the info. 

So was I.  Thanks for sharing!
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

1995hoo

Here's a 15-second video I shot today showing the beauty of the Express Lanes just before 3 PM on a Monday afternoon near Tysons (that's the ramp from Route 7 on the left). Click to play. Sorry about the graininess, Photobucket resizes the image and it always distorts a bit.

I had my cruise control set at 65 mph, BTW. Saw cops on the Inner Loop side at the gantry just north of US-29 both times I went through; also saw a cop pulling over a pickup on the Inner Loop just north of Gallows (don't know what for). Some guy blew past me doing well over 80 mph shortly after that and I can certainly understand why. It's hard not to speed in there.

On the return trip I wanted to go to Springfield so I took the HOV ramp to southbound I-95. Interesting drive in this direction (I had previously used it from northbound I-95 to the Inner Loop). The exit from the Outer Loop feels like it's plunging down into a cave or a canyon as it leaves the Beltway to the left. The ramp has a bit of a roller-coaster feel to it, IMO, and this just accentuates it. Then coming out of the long curve to the left is a great place to accelerate hard if the road is clear....which today it wasn't. HOV lanes were slow, 25 mph slow, probably due to construction.

"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

1995hoo

BTW, I forgot to mention that the revised skip line on the Inner Loop prior to the lanes' southern beginning does indeed clarify things a good bit. The lady ahead of me slowed and moved right as soon as the short skips began.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Mapmikey

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 26, 2012, 04:16:10 PM
Here's a 15-second video I shot today showing the beauty of the Express Lanes just before 3 PM on a Monday afternoon near Tysons (that's the ramp from Route 7 on the left). Click to play. Sorry about the graininess, Photobucket resizes the image and it always distorts a bit.

I had my cruise control set at 65 mph, BTW. Saw cops on the Inner Loop side at the gantry just north of US-29 both times I went through; also saw a cop pulling over a pickup on the Inner Loop just north of Gallows (don't know what for). Some guy blew past me doing well over 80 mph shortly after that and I can certainly understand why. It's hard not to speed in there.

On the return trip I wanted to go to Springfield so I took the HOV ramp to southbound I-95. Interesting drive in this direction (I had previously used it from northbound I-95 to the Inner Loop). The exit from the Outer Loop feels like it's plunging down into a cave or a canyon as it leaves the Beltway to the left. The ramp has a bit of a roller-coaster feel to it, IMO, and this just accentuates it. Then coming out of the long curve to the left is a great place to accelerate hard if the road is clear....which today it wasn't. HOV lanes were slow, 25 mph slow, probably due to construction.



95 HOV was slow this afternoon because of a wreck near the former Lorton ramp.  One of the cops on the inner loop had a semi pulled over in the express lanes when I drove by around 5.

With the caveat that I did not go to work last Wednesday, the highest outer loop toll I have seen so far is $1.90.  One day last week in the afternoon rush I saw that the inner loop toll was $2.20.

So far I have noticed that even though the Express lanes are lightly used in afternoon rush, it is enough to make the main lanes of the Outer Loop run fairly smoothly throughout at near-highway speeds.

Does anyone know if one can exit the outer loop express at Braddock and go straight at the light to head back onto the mainline beltway?  I am not inclined to use the beltway express to the south end because I would have to get over 3 lanes in a very short distance to make the ramp to mainline 95 south which is suicidal at 5:15 in the afternoon...


Mapmikey


1995hoo

Interesting question about Braddock. I don't know the answer, but since you can turn right or left you ought to be able to go straight since there's no competing movement.

You can also accomplish the "express-to-local" switch at Gallows if you exit, turn right, then take the loop-around ramp on the right. Forces you to spend more time with the general traffic, though.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

cpzilliacus

Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock: Drivers assess new Beltway lanes

QuoteOnly in the D.C. area, where after months of notices and with signage that could be seen for miles, would drivers be unaware that they were about to enter toll lanes! Then they swerve recklessly into traffic or suddenly stop, causing accidents.

They then have the gall to blame the Virginia Department of Transportation and the express lanes' operators. Of course their excess speed, lack of road awareness and left-lane selfishness could not have anything to do with it. If there is any good to come of the problems, it may be if more drivers behave as one writer who said he would: "Move to the far-right lane and stay there."

– Ed Conley, Fairfax
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

1995hoo

Quote from: mtantillo on November 26, 2012, 01:04:01 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 26, 2012, 12:58:53 PM
I checked my E-ZPass statement online this morning and I see the toll gantries associated with the Shirley Highway HOV ramps are active, but they don't make any difference in the amount of the toll. When you use the 495 Express Lanes, the statement shows the entry and exit points (similar to a "ticket system" toll road) and if you pass under the HOV ramp gantries it says "H95" for the entry/exit point. It appears to say "ELS" if you enter/exit at the lanes' southern end without passing under the HOV gantries.

No particular significance to this post, but I thought I'd mention it because I was the person who was interested in the issue in the past.

It is significant to me, as I was interested too!  Thanks for the info. 

I checked it again this morning but yesterday's trips haven't posted yet. So far this is what I see it showing:

SR7 for Leesburg Pike–entered there southbound on the first day
LEE for Lee Highway (US-29)–entered there southbound on the second day
H95 for the Shirley Highway HOV ramps as well as for the east-side single-lane connections cpzilliacus and I discussed–used all these things multiple times so far
ELE for the lanes' northern end on the Inner Loop
ELS for the lanes' northern beginning on the Outer Loop
SPR for the lanes southern end on the Outer Loop; I assume it's probably the same on the Inner Loop but I don't know yet (need to see yesterday's trip to answer that)


It took three days for last week's trips to post to my Virginia E-ZPass account. VDOT says it can take up to seven days. They're treated as "out-of-agency" trips because VDOT does not manage the 495 Express Lanes.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 27, 2012, 11:11:58 AM
It took three days for last week's trips to post to my Virginia E-ZPass account. VDOT says it can take up to seven days. They're treated as "out-of-agency" trips because VDOT does not manage the 495 Express Lanes.

This is interesting.  Tolls from the privately-owned Dulles Greenway show up on my MdTA E-ZPass Account as "VDOT" for  some reason. 

Maybe because the main toll barrier on the Greenway collects money for VDOT (really MWAA now) for all traffic coming from the Dulles Toll Road?
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

1995hoo

Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 27, 2012, 11:45:48 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 27, 2012, 11:11:58 AM
It took three days for last week's trips to post to my Virginia E-ZPass account. VDOT says it can take up to seven days. They're treated as "out-of-agency" trips because VDOT does not manage the 495 Express Lanes.

This is interesting.  Tolls from the privately-owned Dulles Greenway show up on my MdTA E-ZPass Account as "VDOT" for  some reason. 

Maybe because the main toll barrier on the Greenway collects money for VDOT (really MWAA now) for all traffic coming from the Dulles Toll Road?

Yeah, it's funny, they all–including the 495 Express Lanes tolls–say "VDOT" under the "Agency" column when I view my transactions online. ("All" meaning Dulles Toll Road, Greenway, and 495 Express Lanes; recent trips on the Intercounty Connector and Pennsylvania's Route 43 just list the agency as MdTA or PTC, respectively.) But I read something on the E-ZPass Virginia site a few weeks ago that said something about checking your replenishment amount if you plan to be a regular user because Express Lanes tolls could take up to a week to post and it said something like "in the same manner as out-of-state tolls."

I can't find that on their website anymore, though. I do see that the ICC and PTC tolls took three days to post in October and the Greenway and Dulles Toll Road tolls posted same-day. The Express Lanes trips on the weekend (Saturday the 17th and Sunday the 18th) both posted on Wednesday the 21st, while the two trips on Monday the 19th both took three days and posted on November 22, which struck me as odd because that's Thanksgiving and I figured they might not post until the next day (just like how the bank doesn't let you schedule an electronic bill payment on a holiday).
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Interstatefan78

#174
Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 18, 2012, 06:58:33 PM
Quote from: oscar on November 18, 2012, 04:03:13 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 18, 2012, 01:04:42 PM
No, of course not. The E-ZPass New Jersey tag belongs to the New Jersey customer service center and would have to be returned to them. It can't be traded in for a Virginia device. If someone with a New Jersey transponder wants to get a Flex transponder from Virginia, the best thing to do would be to set up the Virginia account and obtain the Flex device and THEN cancel the New Jersey account (and send the transponder back, preferably wrapped in foil) once the Virginia one is operative.

But has VDOT lightened up on its historical policy of not issuing Virginia E-ZPass transponders to residents of other states (or at least the ones in the E-ZPass consortium)?  The only movement I've seen on that front is the concession that residents of D.C. (not in the consortium) can get E-ZPasses from VDOT.  See https://www.ezpassva.com/CreateAccount/CreateAccountHome.aspx which points residents of consortium states to their own states' E-ZPass sites.  My wild guess is that those other states won't issue you a Flex transponder, at least not until Virginia's implementation of HOT lanes spreads to other states.

The Maryland Transportation Authority will apparently be issing E-ZPass Flex units, even though  I do not believe they have no intention of allowing a similar HOV exemption on the I-95 Express Toll Lanes in Baltimore County between I-895 and Md. 43.

I had Virginia E-ZPass (and before that, SmarTag) transponders for many years, even though I have never lived in the Commonwealth. I changed not long before Maryland decided to start charging a monthly fee of low-use customers. :-)

Quote from: oscar on November 18, 2012, 04:03:13 PM
Out-of-staters might be able to get "On-The-Go" E-ZPass transponders, including Flex transponders, in-person at some Virginia grocery stores and other retail outlets.  However, they are supposed to register the transponders later (for replenishment of their accounts, after tolls and monthly fees draw down the prepaid balance).  I can't tell if VDOT will allow registration by out-of-staters, or if the participating retailers will even issue "On-The-Go" transponders to out-of-staters.

I think VDOT will issue anyone an  E-ZPass transponder, especially if you walk-in to one of their offices.
A better sloution to this E-Z Pass flex problem is to have E-Z Pass New Jersey and New York offer flex tags because some of these E-Z Pass NJ/NY users would use the I-495 HOT lanes from VA-267 to I-395 in Springfield, VA  :D



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