Accountability and Petition Plans

Yes, I've looked at the SR91 model. It is not applicable to the system as proposed by Fluor/Transurban. That road is only 10 miles long, not 35+, it has one entrance and one exit, not a dozen or more as will be the case with the planned toll road here, it has one tolling point, not several dozen as we will have. It has far, far fewer vehicles on it. It has two lanes, not three. It is used mostly, according to its statistics, by housewives going shopping and is not a central commuter route. It was not a pre-existing HOV, but was custom-built within the bounds of the existing freeway.

Carpools are not free during commuting hours on SR91, as was promised, but are tolled with a mild discount. That is the point.

The tolling on SR91 is not "congestion dynamic", as is planned for traffic management purpose on I95, but is based on a published schedule.

Current prices on SR91 (which increase every six months) are about 92.5 cents per mile in the evening and about 45 cents in the morning. Why expect anything cheaper here? Do the math on a daily commute from Woodbridge.

The lone toll checkpoint on SR91 is a video camera running tape, with the occasional human in the booth. Any chance that would work here given the traffic volume and speeds on our road? Given the fact you can't look inside a van? Given the darkness in the morning and a set of tinted windows?

Finally, SR91 included a controversial if not entirely sick-minded "non-compete" clause that only you could love.

Still, SR91 failed as private venture and had to be rescued by the state.

To compare the two roads either 1) displays your ignorance or 2)proves our suspicions that you are a troll in the gainful employ of someone with a financial incentive to toll the citizens of Virginia. (And please, don't do your usual attempt to divert the argument by saying that I, too, have a financial incentive at stake. Duh.)

Nah, Raymond; they are not going to implement such a paperwork-intensive, easily fooled process. Not when there is so much money at stake.

I have thought about this a lot (my wife says too much) and there is no technical way for the overhead transponders to charge one car with two people and not charge another car with three people. It can't be done.

OK, you could have cops stationed at numerous points along the system stopping every car with tinted windows and every van to count passengers. That would certainly make ride-sharing convenient, eh?

Remember EVERY vehicle that accesses these lanes, EVERY SINGLE ONE, must have an EZ-Pass. One theory I've heard is that carpoolers would have a "sock" to put their transponder in that would keep it from being charged by the toll booths. But what is to stop me from putting my transponder in the sock all the time? Heck, we could all do that any time we want! Do you think Flour/Transurban will let us do that?

So what is their alternative? Toll everyone!

Look, Kirby said it plain as day in the Post: HOV-3 won't be free.

The correspondence is factual. That is what was sent to Delegate Cole and that is his response. Delegate Cole voted against the exemption last year and this year he abstained from voting. Whether there was a "promise" for July 06 thru Jun 07 to be the last year, that's debatable. That was my inferrence as well as others. However, I've come to realize that the exemption will always continue because there are only a few of the delegates and senators who could care about this issue and they will never have the number of votes to reject the bill. The only way to stop it is to not have it introduced or to not have the Transportation Committee refer it to the House or Senate, but that will never happen because voting for the exemption makes the delegates and senators look good on the environment.

Bob,
Goober wrote about the canned response he got from a delegate in another string and is now contemplating writing to the Governor. Info below is FYI..

About the comment on contacting the Governor ...
Here's a quote from the current Governor's website at http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/biography.cfm

"In transportation, Governor Kaine is working to promote greater accountability, with a focus on measurable improvements, better connections between land use and transportation planning, and greater investments in road, rail and public transportation infrastructure. During his first year in office, he has recruited innovative transportation professionals and made significant advances in land use reforms that will make Virginia’s transportation network serve people better."

If you want to "contact" him, you can send a message at http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm

It would be interesting to see what, if any, response you would get.

Mr. Troll,
I'm sure that any correspondence you've had with your elected representatives have been fact checked and were found to be 100% accurate. Just like everything you post here.