Virginia

[74/171FAN]

At least Ruckersville is up front about strict enforcement.  They give 1/2 mile advance signage warnings of the speed limit drop. Also, Ruckersville is more built up now, so 55 actually feels too fast through there.
Mike

That's how it should be done. Give some warning about the limit drop.

The only one I saw on US 460 was on the west end of the Lynchburg bypass.  They have 3/4 advance warning signs for the drop from 65 to 45.

[hbelkins]

Speaking of US 460 and a drop from 65 to 45, I used to hear a lot of complaints about the VA/WV state line for eastbound 460 traffic. Last time I was through there, it seems like WV had done a pretty good job of signing the speed limit drop prior to the state line.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Although I've heard of the infamous Hopewell traps, only one Virginia town sticks out in my mind when it comes to just overt ticketing-to-fill-the-coffers:

Waverly.

What a miserable little town with its Taj Mahal courthouse.

Green Bay is worse. The speed limit on US 360 drops from 60 to 35 with little warning and there's usually a sheriff's deputy or state trooper just waiting.

[74/171FAN]

Speaking of US 460 and a drop from 65 to 45, I used to hear a lot of complaints about the VA/WV state line for eastbound 460 traffic. Last time I was through there, it seems like WV had done a pretty good job of signing the speed limit drop prior to the state line.

Actually that is 65 to 50 last I checked, that has at least been the case since the Pikeville meet.  A similar situation at the eastern end of the Christiansburg bypass has become 65 to 50(instead of 45) to 35.

[1995hoo]

For those who may be interested but have not been on I-395 recently, here's a video capture of the HOV ramp under construction on the south side of the Seminary Road interchange. I was in slow traffic exiting from northbound I-395 to Seminary. Recall the existing HOV ramp on the interchange's other side connects to the "middle level"–or, put differently, if this ramp were of the same design, it'd connect just to the left of that BGS in the distance above the orange barrels to the left of the car in front of mine.

The ramp looks bigger in person than it does in this image.

I do not have a good picture of the construction on the far side of the interchange where they're building a new bike/pedestrian bridge separate from the Seminary Road overpass.

[EricJV95]

Oh yes. I know it well in Emporia!! You BETTER keep down your speed there. Those guys don't play. I should know. I was coming EAST on 58 from St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville. Just as I entered Emporia before I-95; There he was!! A Va. State Trooper clocked me at 63 in a 50. Well, He was nice about it. Even though I gotten a ticket. He said if I wanted to, I could stop off at the court house and pay off the ticket (which I did that same day). Only a $63.00 fine. So Folks; Next time you drive thru Emporia, Va. along Rt. 58, 301 or I-95; WATCH YOUR SPEED!! They will catch you.

[EricJV95]

By the way; That $63.00 ticket happened back in 1992. I'm sure it's through the roof now going thru Emporia.

[1995hoo]

By the way; That $63.00 ticket happened back in 1992. I'm sure it's through the roof now going thru Emporia.

Fines are prescribed by a state statute unless you're charged under some local ordinance.

[AlexandriaVA]

For those who may be interested but have not been on I-395 recently, here's a video capture of the HOV ramp under construction on the south side of the Seminary Road interchange. I was in slow traffic exiting from northbound I-395 to Seminary. Recall the existing HOV ramp on the interchange's other side connects to the "middle level"–or, put differently, if this ramp were of the same design, it'd connect just to the left of that BGS in the distance above the orange barrels to the left of the car in front of mine.

The ramp looks bigger in person than it does in this image.

I do not have a good picture of the construction on the far side of the interchange where they're building a new bike/pedestrian bridge separate from the Seminary Road overpass.

I also noticed that they removed the stop sign on westbound Seminary road just before you cross over 395, where pedestrians would cross over Seminary to get to the provisional pedestrian bridge (which is right now just part of the roadway reserved for pedestrians). Now it's just a "yield to pedestrians" sign. Some people were complaining about having to come to a stop with no pedestrians around. The new pedestrian bridge should make the issue moot.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: First female Va. trooper killed on duty was 'rebel' who broke racial barriers

Virginia state trooper Charles King III was racing down Interstate 395 one night in 1986 when he radioed for backup.

He was pursuing the driver of a stolen Porsche 911, headed to Exit 10, toward the Twin Bridges Marriott in Arlington. King, seeing that the driver was going to bail, called for assistance.

Jacqueline Vernon, one of the first female troopers with the Virginia State Police, answered the call.

When Vernon arrived, the driver had fled on foot, and his female passenger had bolted into the Marriott.

"Go get the girl! She's in the hotel!"  King remembers yelling.

[cpzilliacus]

WTVR Channel 6: Two Henrico drivers rack up as much as $70,000 in unpaid toll fines

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Have you ever seen the big white sign when you drive through toll plazas on RMA toll roads, that warn of up to a $500 fine if you fail to pay the 70-cent toll? Two Henrico County drivers will soon learn not having an EZ-Pass is going to be hard on their wallets.

Driving from Chesterfield or Henrico to downtown Richmond costs 70-cents at each toll plaza, totaling anywhere from $1.40 to $2.80, round-trip.

"Folks go to work to pay their bills, not to pay tolls, plus fines that can triple or even go as high as fifty times over the original fine," said Cliff Brown, driving in from Chesterfield.

[1995hoo]

That quotation above from Mr. Brown is one of the more irrational quotations I've seen. Seems to me the tolls are part of your bills if you choose to use the toll road. It's not like Richmond's toll roads are new, either, and they've also had electronic tolling for well over ten years, so it's disingenuous for someone to claim ignorance.

[cpzilliacus]

That quotation above from Mr. Brown is one of the more irrational quotations I've seen. Seems to me the tolls are part of your bills if you choose to use the toll road. It's not like Richmond's toll roads are new, either, and they've also had electronic tolling for well over ten years, so it's disingenuous for someone to claim ignorance.

Agreed. 

Though I also believe that there should be an absolute cap on penalty charges, fees and interest and collection fees on unpaid tolls.  In relative terms, the tolls on the older Richmond-area toll roads (Va. 195 and Va. 76) are pretty low.  Getting to $70,000 sounds pretty obscene to me.

IMO, much better to allow the state DMV to withhold registration renewals for unpaid tolls.  At least in Maryland, the MVA (our DMV is called MVA) will withhold renewals for parking scofflaws, and I believe that MDTA now has the authority to ask MVA to put a hold on registration renewals for unpaid tolls as well.  All that's missing is interstate holds on registration renewals, which some states in New England now have for unpaid tolls (probably a good idea, since Massachusetts (and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission) have announced plans to eliminate all cash toll collection in the coming years).

[AlexandriaVA]

Why institute a cap? As long as the person who needs to pay the fees is aware of late fees, that's on them to pay up on time. If they need to claim hardship, fine, but there needs to be an incentive for people to actually pay the fees that they owe.

[1995hoo]

Why institute a cap? As long as the person who needs to pay the fees is aware of late fees, that's on them to pay up on time. If they need to claim hardship, fine, but there needs to be an incentive for people to actually pay the fees that they owe.

I don't know how the RMA handles unpaid tolls. The following graphic is from Transurban, the people who run the Northern Virginia HO/T lanes, and it shows why I don't feel a huge amount of sympathy for most violators. Even people who inadvertently experience a violation due to a dead E-ZPass battery will receive a notice, and if I got one of those, I'd definitely fix the problem ASAP! I'm just not sympathetic to people who ignore these things.

Assuming the RMA handles people who don't have E-ZPasses in a similar fashion, I'd have a similar reaction. In other words, there is ample opportunity to fix things before its anywhere close to going to court.

Note the footnote in the graphic–the civil penalties are set by state law.

[AlexandriaVA]

You're a lawyer - so long as the fees and conditions are properly displayed, isn't it basically a case of caveat emptor?

I noticed the Transurban/495 website has terms and conditions which dictate how the fee schedule can escalate quickly ("Fees and Penalties", section 34)

https://www.expresslanes.com/terms-and-conditions

[1995hoo]

You'd think so, but some circuit court judges in Fairfax have been finding excuses to rule against Transurban. I don't know whether the Virginia Supreme Court has heard any appeals in those cases. Note that unlike in most states (and the federal system), there is no right to an appeal in most cases in Virginia–the state supreme court usually has discretion whether to take any given case (there are exceptions, of course).

[AlexandriaVA]

I presume that Transurban factors in these fees etc into their projected revenue. although they would never come out and admit it in public ("Our balance sheets depend on n% of motorists incurring late fees). Not that I'll lose a minute of sleep over it, but I can't imagine they are happy with one of their revenue streams possibly drying up.

[cpzilliacus]

Note that unlike in most states (and the federal system), there is no right to an appeal in most cases in Virginia–the state supreme court usually has discretion whether to take any given case (there are exceptions, of course).

The Maryland Court of Appeals (our highest appellate court) has significant discretion in what cases it does (and does not) hear.

For most appeals, at least in Maryland's juidical system, the Court of Special Appeals (the intermediate appellate court) is as high as people get.  Getting to the Court of Appeals requires filing petition for a writ of certiorari, and then having the court issue that writ.

[1995hoo]

The difference in Virginia is that our Court of Appeals (the intermediate court) has jurisdiction only in certain types of cases. I learned what they were for the bar exam but I don't remember now. Anything outside their jurisdiction must go to the Supreme Court via a petition.

[cpzilliacus]

LeesburgToday.com: SCC Closes Dulles Greenway Investigation; Annual Rates Increase Survive Review

The State Corporation Commission today announced it was formally closing its investigation requested by Del. David Ramadan (R-87) into toll rates on the Dulles Greenway.

The privately owned, 14-mile highway runs between Leesburg and Rt. 28. In February the SCC approved an increase of 10 cents, from $4.20 to $4.30 for two-axle vehicles. During peak morning and afternoon weekday periods, the toll increased from $5.10 to $5.20.

Toll increases of at least 2.8 percent were mandated by the General Assembly in 2008 to be awarded annually between 2013 and 2020. Larger toll hikes are required if the consumer price index or gross domestic product increase are higher. The state law also permits the operator to request still higher increases under some circumstances.

[AlexandriaVA]

Has traffic fallen with the rate increases? If not, then I don't know what the justification for limit rate hikes could possibly be.

[Thing 342]

Daily Press - I-64 Widening to Begin this Month http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-nn-64-widening-20150908-story.html

So after 14+ years of living in Hampton Roads, they finally start work on this project less than a month after I move out. Excellent.

[lepidopteran]

http://wtop.com/arlnow-com/2015/09/gov-mcauliffe-dedicates-bridge-over-columbia-pike-in-honor-of-freedmans-village/

Gov. Terry McAuliffe has dedicated the bridge that takes Washington Blvd over Columbia Pike as Freedman's Village Bridge, in honor of settlement for freed slaves started in Arlington during the Civil War.

The four-lane bridge handles about 80,000 vehicles per day and is wider and taller than the previous bridge, allowing roomier sidewalks and, originally, the potential of a streetcar running underneath. According to Virginia law, bridges can only be named in memory of a deceased person or to recognize an area with historical significance.

Not mentioned in the article is that one of the loop ramps, WB to SB, was eliminated, replaced with a wider, straighter off-ramp.  A "ghost" of the loop may still be present on Google Maps.

[AlexandriaVA]

There are national plans to realign the Pike near the now-razed Navy Annex, I think in tandem with a land swap with Arlington Cemetery, but we'll see when that happens.

One thing which always bugged me is the lack of parallel roadways to the south of the Pike, thanks to the large-block apartment complexes and Army Navy Country Club.