HOT LANES PROPOSED TOLLS WOW

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Originally posted by colossus911
[br]In San Diego, the I-15 HOT lanes just rely on enforcement. Officers patrolling the lanes have readers to identify if a car they pull over paid the fare or not. Really creates a much worse enforcement problem then currently in the lanes.

One bonus is that the HOT toll provider depends on those lanes running to collect tolls so they push enforcement strongly and I can assure you their enforcement is much stronger than here.

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So the corporation that has just been handed a multi-billion dollar taxpayer-capitalized facility also has influence over how the taxpayers' law enforcement resources are to be utilized? It just gets better and better.

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Originally posted by fed up
[br]One topic that I have not seen discussed with respect to the HOT lanes (and I admit not having reviewed the proposed plans) is what impact the toll lanes will have on traffic leaving the District in the evenings. Where exactly are the booths going to be set up to collect the toll and how will this affect the flow of traffic from D.C. during the afternoon rush.

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Pay to get in, get out free?

dickboyd@aol.com

I wrote Saturday's HOT lane story.

Coupla points to add to discussion:

* There will be no toll booths; EZ-Pass transponders will deduct tolls
* Will remain HOV-3, at least for the beginning of service in 2010
* Company promises free carpools forever; assume VDOT will put it in contract
* No hybrid exemption is currently considered

Eric,

A favor? .... when you do a follow-up on the story, can you get someone from the Virginia government (VDOT?) to go on the record about how exactly they will ensure the contractor charges the single drivers while letting the HOV3 car pools and commuter buses use the HOT lanes for free? The previous info we've seen has ranged from "use of good technology" to "it really can't be done".

It would also be interesting to get the contractor to go on the record on the same question, as well as providing us an explanation on the daily mechanics and procedures each type of commuter (e.g. paying and free) must follow to use the HOT lanes.

Thanks. We're looking forward to your follow-up. Happy sluggin'!

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Originally posted by EricWeissWashPost
[br]I wrote Saturday's HOT lane story.

Coupla points to add to discussion:

* There will be no toll booths; EZ-Pass transponders will deduct tolls
* Will remain HOV-3, at least for the beginning of service in 2010
* Company promises free carpools forever; assume VDOT will put it in contract
* No hybrid exemption is currently considered

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Welcome to the forum, Eric! Make no mistake about it, there are many reasons that HOT is bad for Dc area commuters and the region overall.

While the proposed plan from Flour (FTS) has some very well defined methods of charging and collecting tolls, it has not resolved the question of how to check cars for the 3+ occupants that would exempt HOVs from being charged tolls. And I suspect that once the "system" is able to identify the many, many HOV vehicles that would be exempted as promised, they would be seen as targets to recoup "lost" revenue for TSB. It is very likely that FTS would seek to ammend the terms to recoup this lost revenue as a toll on HOV drivers.

The whole concept of toll express lanes provides those commuters with the means (affluence), to pay their way to a speedy commute. This will promote "affluent urban flight" from the close-in suburbs to the exurbs as those who can afford to pay tolls will move further out. HOT will undermine effective urban planning and promote exurban sprawl. It also erodes some very basic common-sense traffic/pollution/fossil fuel consumption reduction concepts such as car-pooling, mass transit and other auto-alternative commuting options. HOT promotes single driver, rich, exurban resident commuting; a concept that is outdated and has been proven harmful to our society.

By farming out the responsibility to maintain existing HOV lanes and the awarding rights to charge for usage to a private firm, VDOT is betraying area taxpayers who have paid to build these roads and who have paid taxes for years to VDOT to maintain them. True the roads are in desperate need of maintanence, but we have paid taxes for this for years. Now that the bill is coming due VDOT is shirking its responsibility and dumping the costs on to the backs of taxpayer/commuters in the form of tolls. This is a shell game, and taxpayers are getting taken to the cleaners.

I hope this provides an alternate view of HOT lanes, from a user and future toll payer. I am a commuter and a taxpayer, and I stand with my fellow commuter/taxpayers in opposition of HOT lanes.