County closer to HOT lanes |
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defender
New Slug Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Location: va Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 31 Jan 2005 at 9:01am |
Thanks to various writers, there have been several articles on the breakdown of the HOV lanes in Northern Virginia. Most noted what thousands of car-pooling Northern Virginia commuters already know; if you want to legally cheat HOV-3, buy a so-called hybrid. If you want to defeat HOV, you may also buy a hybrid.
The legislators may have intended well by allowing hundreds small, “clean fuel” cars onto the HOV-3. However, the hundreds have multiplied to be thousands and now include full-sized LPG fueled trucks, CNG fueled Crown Victorias, and conventionally fueled, Ford Excape SUVs. Almost to a vehicle, these run through a legal loophole and onto the HOV-3 with “room for five, while ridden by one.” This week, we are at a critical point. Our Legislators, particularly those who chair or sit on transportation sub-committees, need to understand how bad the daily commute has become, and why HOV is critically ill. The sickness is rooted in one cause. However, we have a simple and effective cure. The Virginia Legislators needs to excise the cancer from the HOV. They need to END ALL EXCEPTIONS THAT ALLOW SOLO DRIVERS IN THESE LANES. Overnight, we will gain a potential to move 4,000 additional commuters without putting another car on the road. Ending the exceptions will decrease overall pollution by putting multiple commuters in the existing clean fuel vehicles. It will relieve HOV congestion. Best yet, it will do this at no additional cost to the taxpayer. |
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beachhead
New Slug Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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"Commonwealth Transportation Board" sounds like "Virginia Basebal Stadium Commission." At least the baseball guys held some public meetings and found out what they were up against before they tried to ram that gem past No. Va. residents. Fortunately, DC figured out they were going to loose baseball to VA if they didn't get their act together, making what could have been another ugly situation moot.
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Bob
New Slug Joined: 14 Dec 2001 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I got the article below from the online Journal newspaper. Not really much new but I do have some comments. This "Commonwealth Transportation Board" doesn't appear to be accountable to anyone. I believe all of their meetings are held in Richmond, and the whole thing seems very secretive to me. Perhaps I am just paranoid. These issues are huge and they are almost being decided in secret. To me, this appears to be a situation where some well placed money by the HOT developers could work wonders. Do other states work this way?
(PS I just wrote an email to the VDOT spokesperson that was mentioned asking for info about contacting the head of this Board) (PS I also just found a section of the VDOT website with some info on recent actions by the board) http://www.virginiadot.org/infoservice/ctb-default.asp HOT-lane proposals move forward The Commonwealth Transportation Board voted Thursday to move two high-occupancy toll proposals to the next stage of review. The proposals, submitted by the Clark Construction Group and Fluor Virginia Inc., are designed to alleviate traffic congestion along 36 miles of Interstate 95 between Fredericksburg and Washington. Both proposals would replace high-occupancy vehicle lanes with high-occupancy toll lanes, in which single drivers would pay a variable toll to use. An advisory board will review the proposals and also will allow for comments from the public, said Tamara Neale, a Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman. The review process is scheduled to continue until fall, followed by advisory panel recommendations to the VDOT commissioner. Negotiations with one or both of the contractors would not begin until early 2006, Neale said. “A lot of things have to happen before that project becomes a reality,” she said.“We’re not digging tomorrow.” |
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SpongeBob
New Slug Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Dear wmcg698220:
We are talking about toll booths being added to the lovely Shirley Highay corridor beginning in about 13 months. Goodbye Slugs! Nice to know you! See you in the traffic jam! Sponge B. |
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wmcg698220
New Slug Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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quote:If HOT lanes were to become a reality...how long till they were operational? Months? Years? |
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dickboyd
New Slug Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Yep, it can't be done legally. So change the law. Just find another Juliette Lowe bill and add a rider to allow conversion of public roads to the private sector.
Isn't anyone interested in knowing who Kenny Klinge is? quote: dickboyd@aol.com |
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dickboyd
New Slug Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Close the Pentagon. Move the military to Yuba County, California.
Close FHWA's Turner-Fairbanks research station. Move Federal Highway research from state to state on a rotating basis. First state to get the honor is the one with the highest crash mortality per capita. Hihgway research stays there until crash mortality drops. Run the Federal government like they run the Olympics. Most State governments are part time anyway. Move the meeting place for Congress from one state capitol to another. Alaska would be the first state to host the new federal government. After that there would be a lottery. Losing state gets to host the feds. The Supreme Court, Congress and the head of the executive department could not be in the same state at any one time. Allow Congressmen and Senators to be in only three places. Their home district, the appointed capitol, or travelling between those two places. Maximum travel time 48 hours. Elected members of the Executive department could only be at the appointed capitol, state funerals, or international conferences. quote: dickboyd@aol.com |
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dickboyd
New Slug Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Be careful of what you ask for, you just might get it. Capacity means full. It won't hold anymore. When is a glass of water full? When one more drop causes it to overflow? Or when there is enough slosh room for the waitress to balance the glass on a tray and carry it to the table without spilling.
To a traffic engineer capacity means adding one more car changes the road to a parking lot. Speed at capactity is about 70% of free flow speed. Breakdown happens one day in twenty. Clearing time after breakdown can be one hour or two days. quote: dickboyd@aol.com |
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dickboyd
New Slug Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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If you have enough money to build light rail to Stafford, a better investment would be to build office buildings in Stafford and have the people that live in Stafford, work in Stafford. One answer might be to give Stafford County a DC Post Office and ZIP code identification.
quote: dickboyd@aol.com |
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Bob
New Slug Joined: 14 Dec 2001 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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On another thread, someone was talking about how the maintenance on the HOV is so bad, then why not do HOT? Actually, as I was stuck on the HOV lane the other morning, I wonder if VDOT is letting the condition of the HOV deteriorate on purpose so everything will get so horrible that the only alternative is HOT! I guess I am just too cynical and paranoid. But seriously, VDOT really doesn't care about our current HOV backups. Has anyone heard or read a single word about the HOV situation? Any discussions of HOV 4 or any other recommendations are just from slugs. The authorities act like they are completely helpless.
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