Northern Virginia HOT Lanes

[1995hoo]

That didn't seem to deter folks from using the 24-hour HOV2 lane on US-50 for passing last Sunday. 

It's not well-enforced (most of the time). But when the State Police do enforce it, they tend to catch a lot of violators, and those tickets almost certainly lead to higher insurance rates for many that get caught.

Similarly, the VSP are often out in force to catch violators on the HOV lanes along I-64 on the Peninsula on summer Fridays. (Which doesn't make a lot of sense, since most beach traffic would seem qualify for those lanes, but they seem to catch a lot of people)

Depending on where the beach traffic originates, the drivers may not be familiar with the HOV lanes. I knew people who passed through the DC area all the time but never drove in the I-95 HOV because they weren't sure where the lanes went and whether they'd be able to exit in the right place. (I suppose the signs ARE designed for local drivers only because they presume the driver knows where the lanes go, given their lack of destination info.)

[mrsman]

I wonder why they don't give out the flex equipment as the default? Well then again of course I know why-it's cheaper and more people get charged that way.

Limited demand, all things considered.  Because even with the Flex, you need to have 3 people in your car in order to use the Flex.

They further discourage frivolous obtaining of a Flex by imposing a one-time $10 fee if you go six months without using it in HOV mode (if you obtained it after October 1 of last year, I believe). It's a one-time fee, period–it's not $10 every time you go six months without an HOV-mode trip. But still, why incur a fee you don't have to? We have two standard E-ZPasses and didn't get a Flex because we almost never have three people in the car. Our neighbors two doors down have three kids, so they have a Flex in their minivan (but not in their other vehicle, a Passat).

Regarding the HOV fines, I believe (I don't have experience with it!) that the fourth violation is a cool $1000. I can't see time savings being worth that much money.

If I'm reading you correctly, if you get an EZ-Pass Flex, you will be charged a $10 fee if you don't use the HOV mode within 6 months.  Does that also mean that if you do use it once during your first 6 months, you will be charged the $10 fee if you don't use it again within 6 months of your most recent use?

[1995hoo]

You're correct on the first part. I don't know as to the second. I didn't pay that close of attention to it because we didn't get a Flex transponder for any of the cars. That may change if/when I-66 gets HO/T lanes. When we visit our favorite winery, a friend who lives in Maryland often comes and we pick her up at the Vienna Metro, so in that case we could use the Flex. But unless/until those lanes open, we get no benefit.

Edited to add: But I do recall reading that once you incur the $10 fee, you don't get hit with again. So if I had a Flex and used it in HOV mode this week, went six months without doing so and paid the $10, then used it once in HOV mode, then didn't use HOV mode again for six more months, I wouldn't be dinged for another $10.

[froggie]

From the Virginia EZPass website:

Please Note: Beginning July 1st 2015, users who have not used their Flex transponder for HOV transactions on Express Lanes for any prior six month period will be required to exchange their Flex transponder for a standard transponder (at no cost) or be subject to a one-time transponder functionality upgrade fee of $10. This only applies to transponders issued after October 1st 2014.

(emphasis mine)

[cpzilliacus]

Fredericksburg.com [Free Lance Star]: Studies show mixed results from I-95 express lanes - TOLL-ROAD USERS ENJOY FASTER COMMUTES, BUT REGULAR LANES BOGGING DOWN IN STAFFORD

Nearly six months after opening, the Interstate 95 express lanes appear to be having the intended results of creating faster trips along the 29-mile corridor, according to recently released studies.

But there also has been some collateral damage, especially for drivers in the Fredericksburg area. A separate study shows a slowdown on regular lanes through Stafford County during morning and afternoon rush hours.

The nearly $1 billion express lanes opened in December after nearly two years of construction. The electronically tolled lanes run along the middle of the interstate, replacing the HOV lanes.

The project extended the lanes from Dumfries to the Garrisonville area and created more entry and exit points.

[cpzilliacus]

Depending on where the beach traffic originates, the drivers may not be familiar with the HOV lanes. I knew people who passed through the DC area all the time but never drove in the I-95 HOV because they weren't sure where the lanes went and whether they'd be able to exit in the right place. (I suppose the signs ARE designed for local drivers only because they presume the driver knows where the lanes go, given their lack of destination info.)

I very much agree with the above.

I have seen school buses headed south from touristy activity in Washington on I-395 and I-95 in the conventional lanes from distant school districts in Virginia and the Carolinas (I think the most-distant one I have ever seen in that corridor was from Horry County, S.C., quite a long haul in a school bus). I presume the drivers did not know that their buses were allowed to use the HOV lanes (and can use the Transurban 95 Express lanes for free, though I think they must have an E-ZPass transponder anyway).

[mrsman]

From the Virginia EZPass website:

Please Note: Beginning July 1st 2015, users who have not used their Flex transponder for HOV transactions on Express Lanes for any prior six month period will be required to exchange their Flex transponder for a standard transponder (at no cost) or be subject to a one-time transponder functionality upgrade fee of $10. This only applies to transponders issued after October 1st 2014.

(emphasis mine)

I see.  So it seems that the general way of thinking behind VA Ez-pass is that they want to encourage people to get the regular EZ-pass, and if you get it from Va, you won't have to pay any account maintenance fees (unlike some other states).  But they are trying to discourage the Ez-pass flex, unless you use HOV at least every 6 months.

I live in the MD suburbs of DC.  Almost every long-distance trip that I make is with family (wife + 3 kids).  Most of our long-distance trips are to the New York area, so I have an EZ-Pass from the MTA Bridges and Tunnels which is considered local to NY so that I get discounts on some of the tolls in that area, plus there is no monthly fee, so I only pay for the tolls I incur.

I do have some family and friends in Northern Virginia  but usually make those trips on the weekends and don't face too much traffic.  I've never used the express lanes while they were in toll operation.  (I did do a free tour out of roadgeek curiosity during the free trial period when the I-495 lanes first opened.)

We are envisioning a trip to the South some time within the next few months and I guess it may make sense to get an EZ-pass flex for the trip, to sail through I-495 and I-95 on the express lanes toll-free, and then canceling the EZ-pass after the trip so that I don't incur the $10 fee.  Does this make sense?

[mrsman]

Depending on where the beach traffic originates, the drivers may not be familiar with the HOV lanes. I knew people who passed through the DC area all the time but never drove in the I-95 HOV because they weren't sure where the lanes went and whether they'd be able to exit in the right place. (I suppose the signs ARE designed for local drivers only because they presume the driver knows where the lanes go, given their lack of destination info.)

I very much agree with the above.

I have seen school buses headed south from touristy activity in Washington on I-395 and I-95 in the conventional lanes from distant school districts in Virginia and the Carolinas (I think the most-distant one I have ever seen in that corridor was from Horry County, S.C., quite a long haul in a school bus). I presume the drivers did not know that their buses were allowed to use the HOV lanes (and can use the Transurban 95 Express lanes for free, though I think they must have an E-ZPass transponder anyway).

CPZ, I believe you have the point.  The buses probably do not have an EZ-pass flex, so if they used the express lanes, they would need an EZ-Pass and pay toll.

I know that they originally required motorcycles to have an EZ-pass, but have since relented.  I believe that buses which are very distinguishable from cars should also be exempt from the EZ-pass requirement.

Ideally, all HOV users should be able to use the express lanes without an EZ-Pass.  However, Transurban said that it would be too hard to do enforcement without utilizing EZ-passes.   

It's odd that along I-15 in San Diego, carpools can ride the lanes without a Fastrak transponder.  Yet in Los Angeles along I-10 and I-110, carpools needs to use a switchable Fastrak transponder and Virginia requires carpools to use the EZ-Pass flex along its express lanes.

See:

http://fastrak.511sd.com/san-diego-toll-roads/i-15-express-lanes

https://www.metroexpresslanes.net/en/about/howit.shtml

[jeffandnicole]

We are envisioning a trip to the South some time within the next few months and I guess it may make sense to get an EZ-pass flex for the trip, to sail through I-495 and I-95 on the express lanes toll-free, and then canceling the EZ-pass after the trip so that I don't incur the $10 fee.  Does this make sense?

Seems like a bit of work.  You'll have to cough up some money too for a deposit.  Yeah, it's not a lot of money and you'll get it back.  And it depends on the timing of the trip.  Are you going to try to do the trip outside of rush hour?  What if you're heading south in the morning?  The Express Lanes won't be open anyway for you. 

If you are only thinking of getting the EZ Pass Flex for a single trip (well, round trip), personally it's not worth it.  You'll probably be more willing to time your trip so you don't have to deal with traffic than finding a way to avoid traffic for a small stretch of highway.

[mrsman]

We are envisioning a trip to the South some time within the next few months and I guess it may make sense to get an EZ-pass flex for the trip, to sail through I-495 and I-95 on the express lanes toll-free, and then canceling the EZ-pass after the trip so that I don't incur the $10 fee.  Does this make sense?

Seems like a bit of work.  You'll have to cough up some money too for a deposit.  Yeah, it's not a lot of money and you'll get it back.  And it depends on the timing of the trip.  Are you going to try to do the trip outside of rush hour?  What if you're heading south in the morning?  The Express Lanes won't be open anyway for you. 

If you are only thinking of getting the EZ Pass Flex for a single trip (well, round trip), personally it's not worth it.  You'll probably be more willing to time your trip so you don't have to deal with traffic than finding a way to avoid traffic for a small stretch of highway.

That may be true, but I keep hearing about how bad I-95 is south of the Beltway.  Although, for most of my family trips we are pretty lucky in that we tend to go in the reverse direction of traffic.

For the trips to NYC, generally we leave in the morning and so it's reverse direction leaving the DC area.  Baltimore's traffic isn't too bad.  And we are generally pretty good until we cross from NJ to NY (tending to see a lot of New Yorkers clogging up the roads going the other way heading for the Jersey Shore and other points south).  Of course, then we really hit traffic  trying to make our way through Staten Island and Brooklyn to Queens.

[froggie]

To be fair, I haven't lived in northern Virginia (Huntington) since 2012, but the general rule was that I-95 South was okay if you left in the morning.

[1995hoo]

In general froggie's advice remains accurate, though of course an accident or other incident can cause problems at anytime. Yesterday a tree fell into the southbound lanes, so obviously that caused problems. The best rule of thumb is to listen to WTOP (103.5-FM), which airs traffic "on the 8s," i.e., x:08, x:18, x:28, etc.

Of course, except on Saturday, if you head south on I-95 in the morning, that road's HO/T lanes won't help you because they'll be pointed north.

I think for a single trip, or a single roundtrip, getting the E-ZPass Flex and then cancelling it would be more trouble than it's worth. One thought, however: Your profile says you live in Silver Spring. Do you ever go to Tysons Corner or out to the west via I-66? If you do make such trips more than once in a great while, the E-ZPass Flex might be worth it for you if you have three or more people in the car when you make that drive. Coming from Silver Spring via the Beltway, Tysons Corner Center ("Tysons I," the original mall where Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's are located) is substantially easier to reach via the Beltway's HO/T lanes than it is via the mainline. You take the Westpark Drive exit and then hang a left on the bridge and the mall parking is right there, whereas via Route 123 or Route 7 there are a couple of hassles. Of course, on the other hand the toll to Tysons from Maryland is usually minimal, but if that lets you get the E-ZPass Flex for free for use on longer trips, maybe it could be worthwhile for you.

[NJRoadfan]

The I-95 lanes are usually open southbound during the day on Saturdays and northbound on Sundays.

[1995hoo]

The I-95 lanes are usually open southbound during the day on Saturdays and northbound on Sundays.

The changeover is on Saturday afternoon, typically between 2 to 4 PM.

BTW, while it's much further to the south than the HO/T lanes, this morning underscored my point about traffic incidents: I-95 was closed southbound near Ashland due to a jackknifed truck. All the more reason to make sure you're familiar with alternates (once you're south of Fredericksburg, US-1 to the west is what most people use to bail out, so I'd probably suggest using US-301 to the east instead if the traffic gets really bad).

[cpzilliacus]

All the more reason to make sure you're familiar with alternates (once you're south of Fredericksburg, US-1 to the west is what most people use to bail out, so I'd probably suggest using US-301 to the east instead if the traffic gets really bad).

Even when I-95 is horrendously congested between I-295 north of Richmond in Henrico County and I-495/I-395 in Springfield, there is seldom much traffic on the lonely 4-lane and 2-lane sections of U.S. 301 between the Gov. Nice Bridge and I-295 northeast of Richmond.

I know a few people that live in Virginia that use this route (combined with Md. 5) on summer weekends as a bail route to avoid I-95.

[Mapmikey]

yes...VA 2 and US 301 are never crowded, even when 95 is a complete disaster.

For those heading to Hampton Roads, VA 30 is always empty...

Mike

[74/171FAN]

All the more reason to make sure you're familiar with alternates (once you're south of Fredericksburg, US-1 to the west is what most people use to bail out, so I'd probably suggest using US-301 to the east instead if the traffic gets really bad).

Even when I-95 is horrendously congested between I-295 north of Richmond in Henrico County and I-495/I-395 in Springfield, there is seldom much traffic on the lonely 4-lane and 2-lane sections of U.S. 301 between the Gov. Nice Bridge and I-295 northeast of Richmond.

I know a few people that live in Virginia that use this route (combined with Md. 5) on summer weekends as a bail route to avoid I-95.

Is MD 3 between US 50 and I-97/MD 32 that bad on summer weekends?  I bring it up because using the MD 5 route to me does not avoid the DC area entirely, which was what I understood about people using US 301 instead of I-95 in the first place.  I'm sure the Beltway itself is not too bad either on the weekends (minus major events at FedEx Field).

I will note that the last time I used US 301 heading south, the whole MD 5 duplex was backed up on Friday night despite already being after 8.

yes...VA 2 and US 301 are never crowded, even when 95 is a complete disaster.

For those heading to Hampton Roads, VA 30 is always empty...

Mike

I would still prefer using US 17 until I-64 is 6 lanes farther west.  Using VA 30, US 17, and/or VA 3 to Hampton Roads seems similar to using VA 208 as an alternate to head to Charlottesville IMO.  Definitely usable but obviously something the normal person following a GPS would not even think about.

[cpzilliacus]

All the more reason to make sure you're familiar with alternates (once you're south of Fredericksburg, US-1 to the west is what most people use to bail out, so I'd probably suggest using US-301 to the east instead if the traffic gets really bad).

Even when I-95 is horrendously congested between I-295 north of Richmond in Henrico County and I-495/I-395 in Springfield, there is seldom much traffic on the lonely 4-lane and 2-lane sections of U.S. 301 between the Gov. Nice Bridge and I-295 northeast of Richmond.

I know a few people that live in Virginia that use this route (combined with Md. 5) on summer weekends as a bail route to avoid I-95.

Is MD 3 between US 50 and I-97/MD 32 that bad on summer weekends?  I bring it up because using the MD 5 route to me does not avoid the DC area entirely, which was what I understood about people using US 301 instead of I-95 in the first place.  I'm sure the Beltway itself is not too bad either on the weekends (minus major events at FedEx Field).

I will note that the last time I used US 301 heading south, the whole MD 5 duplex was backed up on Friday night despite already being after 8.

U.S. 301 north of Md. 5, past Upper Marlboro, to U.S. 50 at Bowie is not usually terrible, unless there is a crash.  You can indeed continue north on Md. 3 past Bowie, where U.S. 301 turns east to join U.S. 50 across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  Md. 3 north of Bowie is quite similar to U.S. 301 south of Bowie, not usually bad except during weekday peak commute times or if there is a crash.  But if your goal is to avoid D.C.-area congestion and your destination is northern Delaware, or anywhere beyond (Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and so on), then staying with U.S. 301 across the Bay Bridge and the Upper Eastern Shore is probably the better choice, and cheaper in terms of tolls, too.

yes...VA 2 and US 301 are never crowded, even when 95 is a complete disaster.

For those heading to Hampton Roads, VA 30 is always empty...

Mike

I would still prefer using US 17 until I-64 is 6 lanes farther west.  Using VA 30, US 17, and/or VA 3 to Hampton Roads seems similar to using VA 208 as an alternate to head to Charlottesville IMO.  Definitely usable but obviously something the normal person following a GPS would not even think about.

U.S. 17 would be (and is) my preferred route to avoid heavy traffic volumes on I-64 between Richmond and Newport News in that case.

I have driven from Charlottesville to my home in Edgewater, Maryland by way of Va. 20, Va. 3, U.S. 301 and Md. 214.  Not a bad way to avoid the misery of I-95 north of Fredericksburg.

[NJRoadfan]

I took US-50/301 to the Eastern Shore coming back from NC this time around (from the Beltway). Zero traffic after US-50 split off..... then I hit Delaware. US-301 south of US-50 is a crapshot from what I've heard. The VA side is usually empty, but the MD side can be annoyingly slow to the point that I-95 would have been faster if it is incident free.

[1995hoo]

All the more reason to make sure you're familiar with alternates (once you're south of Fredericksburg, US-1 to the west is what most people use to bail out, so I'd probably suggest using US-301 to the east instead if the traffic gets really bad).

Even when I-95 is horrendously congested between I-295 north of Richmond in Henrico County and I-495/I-395 in Springfield, there is seldom much traffic on the lonely 4-lane and 2-lane sections of U.S. 301 between the Gov. Nice Bridge and I-295 northeast of Richmond.

I know a few people that live in Virginia that use this route (combined with Md. 5) on summer weekends as a bail route to avoid I-95.

Yup. We used a version of that route last spring when I absolutely HAD to be at the speedway in Richmond by a particular time on a Friday morning for one of those stock car "driving experience" events where you drive a stock car around the speedway. Instead of Route 5 in Maryland, I used 210 to Accokeek and then 228 across. It eliminates a lot of the traffic lights in the Waldorf area, although 210 can sometimes be a bit of a white-knuckle drive if the speed demons are out. I had not been on Route 301 between Bowling Green and the turn for Kings Dominion since the summer of 1985 (that year we made a Boy Scout trip to Kings Dominion one day, camped there, then went up to Fort A.P. Hill to visit the National Jamboree the next day). I don't think Route 301 has changed very much in all that time!

....

I have driven from Charlottesville to my home in Edgewater, Maryland by way of Va. 20, Va. 3, U.S. 301 and Md. 214.  Not a bad way to avoid the misery of I-95 north of Fredericksburg.

I use a slight variation of that. Avoiding I-95 is harder for me because of where I live (Exit 173 off I-95 in Virginia). On our most recent trip home from Charlottesville earlier this month, I wound up using Route 1 north to Stafford, then picking up I-95 and jumping into the HO/T lanes.

For the southern part, heading south I use Route 3 west to Route 20, but when I reach the traffic light in Orange, I turn left onto US-15, take that nine miles south to Gordonsville, and then take the second exit from the roundabout onto VA-231. It becomes VA-22 near Cismont, but you just keep straight ahead until it dumps you into US-250 near Shadwell. You then have the choice of taking 250 over Pantops to enter Charlottesville from the east or taking I-64 across to the University area as a bypass. I learned this route from one of my college roommates whose parents lived (still do, actually) right near Mount Vernon such that the US-29/I-66 route is way out of the easy. One thing I like about this route is that Routes 22 and 231 are scenic, especially the little Episcopalian church just north of Cismont. Beautiful little church. Also, Route 15 is four lanes and so provides an opportunity to get around slower vehicles, whereas Route 20 between Charlottesville and Orange doesn't allow for much passing.

I learned of another new route a year or two ago that uses the new Lake Anna Parkway, a four-lane upgrade of existing Route 208 between the lake area and Fredericksburg. You get onto Route 208 from US-1 just north of the Massaponax interchange on I-95 (Exit 126) and you simply follow it south across Lake Anna to US-522. Make a left and follow that to Mineral, then go right on US-33/VA-22. (I believe there is a back road that cuts the corner and avoids Mineral, but I do not remember the number and I don't feel like pulling up a map.) You can then connect to I-64 from Louisa or use VA-22 to Shadwell. I used this route in 2012 or 2013. Crossing Lake Anna is nice and is a scenic respite, and the new parkway segment was a quick and easy drive. But the route felt longer, maybe because I didn't know the roads and so didn't have that instant feeling for where I am at any given moment, and I think it was somewhat out of the way to the southeast.

[mrsman]

In general froggie's advice remains accurate, though of course an accident or other incident can cause problems at anytime. Yesterday a tree fell into the southbound lanes, so obviously that caused problems. The best rule of thumb is to listen to WTOP (103.5-FM), which airs traffic "on the 8s," i.e., x:08, x:18, x:28, etc.

Of course, except on Saturday, if you head south on I-95 in the morning, that road's HO/T lanes won't help you because they'll be pointed north.

I think for a single trip, or a single roundtrip, getting the E-ZPass Flex and then cancelling it would be more trouble than it's worth. One thought, however: Your profile says you live in Silver Spring. Do you ever go to Tysons Corner or out to the west via I-66? If you do make such trips more than once in a great while, the E-ZPass Flex might be worth it for you if you have three or more people in the car when you make that drive. Coming from Silver Spring via the Beltway, Tysons Corner Center ("Tysons I," the original mall where Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's are located) is substantially easier to reach via the Beltway's HO/T lanes than it is via the mainline. You take the Westpark Drive exit and then hang a left on the bridge and the mall parking is right there, whereas via Route 123 or Route 7 there are a couple of hassles. Of course, on the other hand the toll to Tysons from Maryland is usually minimal, but if that lets you get the E-ZPass Flex for free for use on longer trips, maybe it could be worthwhile for you.

When I was first married about 12 years ago, we had registered at Macy's and the only Macy's in the area was at Tyson's so we used to do the trip fairly often.  When Macy's bought Hecht's, this option was no longer necessary.

The only reason we would regularly go into Northern Virginia would be to visit relatives who live in the Seven Corners area, almost exclusively on Sunday.  I-495, Dulles Access Road, I-66, Lee Highway, Sycamore would  be our general routing.   So I've never had the need to use the express lanes, even though I don't live that far away.

It's similar to when I lived in Queens.  I never had the need to make a toll crossing when I lived in Queens, so I did not have an EZ-Pass.  It was only once I moved to the DC area, where I needed the EZ-Pass to get back to New York was when I finally invested the time into getting a transponder.   First I got a MD EZ-Pass, then when they started charging the maintenance fee I got a MTA Bridge and Tunnel EZ Pass and have used it ever since with no complaints.  Since most of my out of town driving trips are to NYC area, it seems to work the best for me.

[1995hoo]

Seems there will be "purple striping" added to certain HO/T lane entrances. It sounds like the purple will be sort of like a shadow (for lack of a better term) alongside existing white skip lines. One wonders to what extent the average driver associates purple with managed lanes so far–perhaps it's more reasonable to think these markings might help people to learn to make that association (though on the Inner Loop of the Beltway, in particular, I'm sure there'll always be people who think the two left lanes near the Robinson Terminal are there for them to use to try to cut the line in the other lanes).

https://www.expresslanes.com/feature/1779

A photo of the purple striping is on Twitter. I'm typing this on my phone on a very bumpy subway ride, so I'll just link the tweet and someone else can post the photo if you like. I'm having a horrible time trying to type.

https://twitter.com/vaexpresslanes/status/623942131955142656

[Mapmikey]

The purple striping is not all that visible in the dark.  Much more prominent in the daytime in terms of clearly delineating that the express lanes are something different than the rest of the lanes...

Mike

[1995hoo]

I haven't seen the new striping at all except in that picture. It was not present on the Inner Loop last Saturday during my most recent trip on the Beltway, when I used the HO/T lanes to I-66 to go to Fair Oaks for a haircut, and I used the Fairfax County Parkway coming home due to traffic (when the VMS outside Fair Oaks says the Beltway is 7 miles and 20 minutes away, I go a different way!). I don't think I've driven at night since July 3!

Maybe I'll see the markings Saturday en route to the Inn at Little Washington. I'm thinking about using a route froggie mentioned once, that being Hume Road. I've used a portion of it in the past, but only a small portion, so I'm considering taking the HO/T lanes and then heading out I-66 to Marshall, dropping southwest, then cutting across Hume Road to Route 522. As I look at the map I see I could just keep straight on the road from Marshall. Anyone ever been that way such that you're able to comment on which is the nicer drive?

[froggie]

I've been on both a number of times.  IMO, SR 635 (Hume Rd) is more scenic than SR 647 (Crest Hill Rd...the "straight on the road from Marshall"), though SR 647 would be faster.