A SlugPoll: What's it worth to you?

I think Im moving to Billings, MT.

Gotta be some government contracting out that way.....[:(]

But isn't the Smart Tag essentially the same as an EZPass? Does the proposal actually mention creating a pass for HOV riders? I also like the part where it says the rates will change depending on flow of traffic-watch out for those rainy days!

Forget Horner Rd, use Potomac Mills!

Here's the relevent passages from the "Project Characteristics" section of the full Fluor proposal with page numbers (and no, I have no life [8D])

"The I-95/395 Bus Rapid Transitway will be toll-free for transit vehicles, and carpools and vanpools with a minimum of three occupants." p.5

"All vehicles using the BRT/HOT Lanes would be required to have a Smart Tag/E-ZPass account." p. 16

"Enforcement of HOV requirements will be performed by state and local police at no cost to the proposer (Fluor) and without the need for financial support." p. 27

"Meanwhile, significant capacity within the HOV lanes remains unused" (currently). p. 36

OK, here's where they get slippery:
"The proposed tolling system architecture for the I-95/395 BRT/HOT Lanes System Project is similar to that successfully deployed for the SR-91 Project in Los Angeles. In the case of SR-91, customers wishing
to use the BRT/HOT (Express) Lanes open an account with the operator and are issued a toll tag. HOV customers are able to use the Express lanes but at key locations must use a dedicated lane where vehicle
occupancy can be MANUALLY CHECKED." p.51 (my emphasis)

BUT!!!
"The proposal for the I-95/395 BRT/HOT Lanes System Project involves a higher degree of tolling complexity and systems integration than used to date in the US. Firstly, there is the fact that tolling will be undertaken at multiple locations. SR-91 has one set of toll gantries and all tolling and enforcement is undertaken at a single point." p. 51

"...we also plan to incorporate a higher level of technology into the enforcement of toll payment and HOV exempt operations. This will involve some development with VDOT as significant policy and privacy issues need to be managed." p. 51

Slugs, can you guess what that means???

And finally, disregarding their own statement about not being able to create and monitor HOV-only access points, they say this:

"HOV (3+) users will be required to open an account and use a tag in the same way as customers who pay the tolls similar to the SR-91 system. In the case of the HOV customers, their tag will be identified within the system as an HOV user WHEN THEY ENTER THROUGH THE HOV LANE (Sponge's added emphasis) and the transaction will be identified as non-revenue. In addition to providing THE ONLY PRACTICAL WAY TO ACCOMMODATE FREE USAGE FOR HOVs (my emphasis), this will increase the number of holders of transponders which will benefit all projects with Smart Tag capability." p. 53

Goody for VDOT!

Ahem. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if "the only way" to accommodate HOV is to enter through "the HOV lane", but there is no HOV-only lane because there are multiple access points, then THERE CAN BE NO FREE HOV USAGE! Hell, folks, there can't even be REDUCED fees for HOV.

And finally, Big Brother Fluor does have one bright idea for snooping out the number of people in your car...

"However, as video and image management technology has improved rapidly over the past decade it is also appropriate to assess the opportunity to introduce, at the appropriate time, more automated enforcement techniques (to ensure HOVs are HOVs)." p. 53

Welcome to the Brave New World of commuting.

You can't enforce it with cameras. What about vans? What about children in car seats? What about tinted windows? What about oddly configured pickup trucks? What about dark-skinned people on dark evenings? What about square-headed multicellular yellow commuters? What automatic tollbooth camera is going to be accurate enough to count the variety of HOV situations? It will certainly be accurate enough to shoot your plate and send you an automatic ticket, though.

What about "officers of the law carrying out their official duties", as the statute now permits? Hybrids? Are motorcycles going to be free?

Sorry, Goober (Hi, fellow TV star!), but it just ain't gonna work, and they know it. They propose adding literally dozens and dozens of Smarttag entry points into their system. There is no indication that even one of these will be staffed with air-breathing bipeds who can override the automatic charge taken against the Smarttag in your car. No. No, no, no. Nor are they proposing to build separate entry lanes at all these points, nor at any point along the system. The unavoidable bottom line: It is not possible to incorporate free HOV into an automated toll system with multiple entry points without human-level on-site monitoring.

Or at least, they haven't shown how they will do it.

As for the survival of slugging, I do have one idea that would save it. But someone would have to ask me my opinion first.

And the reason I ignore the Clark proposal is because the politicians have ignored it, too. Without the cash-cow of the Shirley Highway commuters, it is dead on delivery, as you surmise.

The Fluor proposal gets its bodycount up by focusing on buses. Ha ha!! Here's the Onion article on THAT :) http://www.theonion.com/auto/news_3643.php

Different system. Dulles has a huge, manned (or personned) toll gate. The Smarttag is how you get around waiting in line to pay.

Also, that system was built from day one as a toll road. It is not a hijacking of an HOV system. The World's Best HOV System, I might add.