HOV-4

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Originally posted by NoSUV
[br]Hybrids aren't the whole problem - it's infantile to think so. Where do the hybrid drivers come from? If from regular lanes, then there should be easing of that congestion mess, and I certainly don't see it? If from slugs, then the commuter lots would have less cars, and I don't see that either. That leaves drivers who were picking up slugs before and now are not (possible) or just more people coming into the area commuting (probable). Clinton said "it's the economy, stupid." This is a case of "it's the increase in total numbers of commuters, stupid."

The way to lower the crunch has nothing to do with hybrid exemption, and everything to do with getting the total number of cars off the road. Why not focus the great energy of this forum to get the legislature to pay us (and our bosses) to have us work from satellite offices?

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...In a perfect world maybe. This is not an option. By the time this legislation passes the HOV would consist entirely of Hybrids.

If your only tool is a hammer, every problem has to look like a nail.

One problem with commuting in the DC area is that too many people have brought solutions without defining the problem. Too many solutions and only one problem.

Too many people have tried solutions without seeing what works here. The people that move here bring solutions from where they used to live. Solutions that are problems, not solutions. When in Rome do as the Romans. Except in northern Virginia. If from California, drive on the freeway. If from New York City, use METRO. If from Connecticut or Long Island, use VRE. If from anywhere else, sneer at slugs. [:(]

Cody Pfanstiehl brought us METRO which eventually became WMATA. Local jurisdictions discouraged picking up slugs at bus stops.

Slugs moved to existing church lots, bowling alley and theatre lots. Those parking spaces were preempted by more lucrative parking for shopping malls. People don't go to church as much or the church service is held in a school building. Loss of more slug parking.

Steve Roberts brought us VRE. More slug parking was preempted. Steve even asked van pool operators to provide transportation for visiting dignitaries. Insult to injury. Take the van operators bread and butter passengers and then ask for van support to take the marginal van passengers.

Developers were asked for proffers for parking at recreation centers. Starlit Swim Club closed as a result of County started recreation centers. Private clubs could not compete with a County operated facility. For slugs, the result was the loss of more parking. County facilties only had enough parking for the recreation. None for slugs.

Housing developers offered dedicated parking in places where houses could not be built in exchange for denser build on the remaining land. Counties agreed, but only if the parking were for VRE or government operated buses. No slugs allowed.

Buses were tearing up lightly built streets. Streets were widened and heavied up. No slug parking. Bus riders only. On some of those expensive streets not even bus riders are allowed to park.

Potomac Mills. No comment.

City of Fairfax. Slugs and dogs keep off the grass. No parking unless you own property in the City.

dickboyd@aol.com

The success of the HOV is not for individual situations. I feel for you, but the success of the HOV rests on decisions made for the masses. If everyone's situation has to be taken into account, we might as well forget the whole system.

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Originally posted by emancilla
[br]HOV-4 is not feasible. We already have problems with HOV-3 to start with. At least I couldn't do it since I leave from the Woodbridge area with my two daughters, heading to North Springfield. It was very hard for me when I had my first child trying to find people heading to Springfield at that time, by not saying I didn't find people at all, that it will make my commute very difficult.

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What do they need window tags for? The registration decal in the window should be all the evidence they need. The only jurisdiction in Virginia that doesn't use those annoying decals is Virginia Beach, and I doubt there are many Virginia Beach residents using commuter lots in Prince William County, Manassas, or Manassas Park.

(I didn't say "county sticker" because the cities and towns use them too.)

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Originally posted by wdossel
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Originally posted by RobertLangDirect
[br]BTW, I saw the the recent BOCS meeting said that they are not sure they want to expand the 234 lot because it gets used by Non PWC residents.

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Then there is a fairly simple solution at hand that is employed by the City of Manassas WRT non-city residents parking at the VRE station. They issue two types of window tags (for free), resident & non-resident, to be hung from r/v mirror. If you park w/o one (or in the wrong spot) stand by for a ticket (and they are aggressive about that).

PWC simply issues bonafide county residents a similar tag and puts up signs to the effect that non-county residents will be ticketed. I would imagine something could be linked to the county decal database for confirmation of residency (covering the non-VA military residents in PWC as well). Spaces in the lots would still be first-come-first-served, but at least one wouldn't be fighting non-county residents, if indeed that is a major problem at 234 (and probably Horner too).

- Will

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Oh, it's accessible from 123. Technically. It's just very poorly designed. The access points are bad, it's easy for traffic to back up - there's NOTHING convenient about it.