Northern Virginia HOT Lanes

[sprjus4]

Road was so empty, I was quite thankful for cruise control just to keep my speed down!

In the general purpose lanes (55 mph) or HO/T lanes (65 mph)?

It'd be tempting to do at least 75 mph in either road with how wide that highway is!

[1995hoo]

General-purpose lanes. The closest exit to my mom's house is Route 236, so the HO/T lanes don't help me get there. I set the cruise control at 65 in the mainline and I was far from the fastest person but not the slowest. At least one car that passed me was going at least 85.

[famartin]

General-purpose lanes. The closest exit to my mom's house is Route 236, so the HO/T lanes don't help me get there. I set the cruise control at 65 in the mainline and I was far from the fastest person but not the slowest. At least one car that passed me was going at least 85.

That's how I usually cruise the beltway.

[sprjus4]

General-purpose lanes. The closest exit to my mom's house is Route 236, so the HO/T lanes don't help me get there. I set the cruise control at 65 in the mainline and I was far from the fastest person but not the slowest. At least one car that passed me was going at least 85.

Drove on I-264 down here today, speed limit 55 mph, was doing around 63 - 65 mph, and was the slowest car. Most traffic was averaging above 70 mph. Wide open 8-lane highway. Ended up bumping up to about 70 mph, still was passed numerous times.

[1995hoo]

https://twitter.com/trafficbooth/status/1250555192506007558?s=21

There are two overturned vehicles. I wonder how fast someone was going. BTW, yesterday at around 2:00 PM the toll was $2.00 from the Pentagon to Turkeycock. I forgot to look to see what it was beyond there because we weren't paying anyway due to having three of us in the car. We were also the only vehicle in there until a construction vehicle entered from Seminary.

[cpzilliacus]

BTW, yesterday at around 2:00 PM the toll was $2.00 from the Pentagon to Turkeycock. I forgot to look to see what it was beyond there because we weren't paying anyway due to having three of us in the car. We were also the only vehicle in there until a construction vehicle entered from Seminary.

Wonder if Transurban is going to be able to service its bonded indebtedness with a crash in toll revenues on the I-95, I-395 and I-495 HOV/Toll projects?

[sprjus4]

BTW, yesterday at around 2:00 PM the toll was $2.00 from the Pentagon to Turkeycock. I forgot to look to see what it was beyond there because we weren't paying anyway due to having three of us in the car. We were also the only vehicle in there until a construction vehicle entered from Seminary.

Wonder if Transurban is going to be able to service its bonded indebtedness with a crash in toll revenues on the I-95, I-395 and I-495 HOV/Toll projects?

I'm more curious about their VA-895 facility in Richmond. It already is a underutilized roadway, I can't imagine the numbers now.

I took a ride on it one Friday afternoon near rush hour to avoid Downtown Richmond in early March, before the restrictions and shut downs, and it was practically empty. A few dozen cars passing along its entire length, mostly on its western end near I-95.

It's high toll over $4 doesn't help either.

[plain]

BTW, yesterday at around 2:00 PM the toll was $2.00 from the Pentagon to Turkeycock. I forgot to look to see what it was beyond there because we weren't paying anyway due to having three of us in the car. We were also the only vehicle in there until a construction vehicle entered from Seminary.

Wonder if Transurban is going to be able to service its bonded indebtedness with a crash in toll revenues on the I-95, I-395 and I-495 HOV/Toll projects?

I'm more curious about their VA-895 facility in Richmond. It already is a underutilized roadway, I can't imagine the numbers now.

I took a ride on it one Friday afternoon near rush hour to avoid Downtown Richmond in early March, before the restrictions and shut downs, and it was practically empty. A few dozen cars passing along its entire length, mostly on its western end near I-95.

It's high toll over $4 doesn't help either.

I'm already predicting another toll hike here when all of this mess is over.

You heard it here first folks

[sprjus4]

BTW, yesterday at around 2:00 PM the toll was $2.00 from the Pentagon to Turkeycock. I forgot to look to see what it was beyond there because we weren't paying anyway due to having three of us in the car. We were also the only vehicle in there until a construction vehicle entered from Seminary.

Wonder if Transurban is going to be able to service its bonded indebtedness with a crash in toll revenues on the I-95, I-395 and I-495 HOV/Toll projects?

I'm more curious about their VA-895 facility in Richmond. It already is a underutilized roadway, I can't imagine the numbers now.

I took a ride on it one Friday afternoon near rush hour to avoid Downtown Richmond in early March, before the restrictions and shut downs, and it was practically empty. A few dozen cars passing along its entire length, mostly on its western end near I-95.

It's high toll over $4 doesn't help either.

I'm already predicting another toll hike here when all of this mess is over.

You heard it here first folks

I'm also predicting more shunpiking if its hiked - more so than there is now. Could volumes get down to 5,000 AADT?

See VA-168 in Chesapeake as an example of what happens when you hike a toll from $2 to $3 off peak and from $2 to $6 then to $8 on peak weekends. Tourists still pay it since that's normal price for northeastern states, but a lot do avoid it as well. VA-895 doesn't carry much thru traffic though, mainly local, so a hike could hurt volumes.

[tjcreasy]

I hope VDOT sets the express lane speed limit at 75 south of Potomac Mills once the extension to Fredericksburg opens. Variable speed limit signs may be necessary to facilitate this. Higher speed limits will attract drivers during off-peak times.

[sprjus4]

I hope VDOT sets the express lane speed limit at 75 south of Potomac Mills once the extension to Fredericksburg opens. Variable speed limit signs may be necessary to facilitate this. Higher speed limits will attract drivers during off-peak times.

I believe the speed limit will be posted at 70 mph south of Stafford in the Express Lanes once the extension is complete. State law would need to be changed to legally post anything above 70 mph.

If Virginia increased the maximum speed limit to 75 mph, there's a whole lot more than just the Express Lanes that could be increased, namely hundreds of miles of rural interstate highway. I'd rather see efforts for maximum speed limit increases be more directed toward increasing non-limited-access divided highways from 60 to 65 mph.

At one point, IIRC, the now-dead US-460 toll road between Petersburg and Suffolk had a proposal that would accommodate a 75 mph speed limit, though obviously never came to fruition.

[jeffandnicole]

I hope VDOT sets the express lane speed limit at 75 south of Potomac Mills once the extension to Fredericksburg opens. Variable speed limit signs may be necessary to facilitate this. Higher speed limits will attract drivers during off-peak times.

You're not going to see a speed limit of 75. Period.

[1995hoo]

A member of the House of Delegates introduced a bill a few years ago that would have allowed 80-mph speed limits on toll roads, including HO/T lanes. Not surprisingly, it didn't make out of the subcommittee.

VDOT is reportedly planning to post the I-66 HO/T lanes outside the Beltway at 70 mph, but I'll believe that when I see it. If anything, maybe they might post that west of either Fair Oaks or Centreville, but I'll be mildly surprised if they post it the whole way.

[tjcreasy]

I hope VDOT sets the express lane speed limit at 75 south of Potomac Mills once the extension to Fredericksburg opens. Variable speed limit signs may be necessary to facilitate this. Higher speed limits will attract drivers during off-peak times.

You're not going to see a speed limit of 75. Period.

Why not?

[1995hoo]

I hope VDOT sets the express lane speed limit at 75 south of Potomac Mills once the extension to Fredericksburg opens. Variable speed limit signs may be necessary to facilitate this. Higher speed limits will attract drivers during off-peak times.

You're not going to see a speed limit of 75. Period.

Why not?

Because the General Assembly won't pass it, especially not given the current party breakdown in both chambers. Even if they did pass it, the current governor would almost surely veto it. A 75-mph bill would be highly unlikely to make it out of committee at all. The 2010 bill that led to the current statute had Gov. McDonnell's support–he made 70-mph speed limits a campaign issue–and his party controlled both chambers.

[sprjus4]

^

I'm surprised the governor did not veto the increase in reckless driving threshold from 80 to 85 mph a few months back.

[1995hoo]

^

I'm surprised the governor did not veto the increase in reckless driving threshold from 80 to 85 mph a few months back.

I was mildly surprised it made it to the governor at all. In the past, that sort of thing has usually died in committee.

[cpzilliacus]

I hope VDOT sets the express lane speed limit at 75 south of Potomac Mills once the extension to Fredericksburg opens. Variable speed limit signs may be necessary to facilitate this. Higher speed limits will attract drivers during off-peak times.

You're not going to see a speed limit of 75. Period.

I agree - for one simple reason - I do not think any freeway in Northern Virginia has a design speed higher than 70 MPH. 

[tjcreasy]

Everyone has made great points. I also believe 75 will never be allowed, but I've seen a speed limit of 75 on HOT lanes in Texas within more complex freeway designs than I-95 through Prince William and Stafford County. Personally I don't believe it would be politically acceptable as a permanent static speed limit, but as a speed limit for off peak times within a variable speed limit zone through what is mostly undeveloped forest it definitely would work. Virginia is no longer the same politically.

Note: My post is dependent on design speeds for the HOT lanes which would safely allow a speed limit of 75 south of Dale City.

[1995hoo]

Gruesome fatal crash in the I-95 HO/T lanes today caused by a guy who was fleeing the police smashing through the gate arms to go the wrong way in the reversible lanes.

I made the second image larger for legibility reasons. This was immediately north of the Cardinal Drive overpass (just north of the weigh station that's north of the interchange with Route 234). I notice the tractor-trailer in the HO/T lanes. Wonder whether he got a ticket since it's illegal for large to be in there.

[sprjus4]

All this... to avoid a speeding ticket for 15 mph over the speed limit.

[1995hoo]

All this... to avoid a speeding ticket for 15 mph over the speed limit.

Makes you wonder whether she was "riding dirty" (had something else going on like carrying drugs, wanted for something else, driving on a suspended license, etc.).

[sprjus4]

All this... to avoid a speeding ticket for 15 mph over the speed limit.

Makes you wonder whether she was "riding dirty" (had something else going on like carrying drugs, wanted for something else, driving on a suspended license, etc.).

Oh, most definitely. There's no doubt about it.

I'm interested in what the findings will be with this investigation.

[tolbs17]

Oof. Unless she was doing drugs.

[jmacswimmer]

I can't believe that the car successfully made it thru the entire series of closed gates and kept on going...

On one hand I wonder if VDOT/Transurban will take another look at the gate system because of this, but on the other hand you can't really design against crazy situations like this...that driver was clearly determined to get thru onto the express lanes, wrong-way or not.