Popular HOV Shortcut in Virginia Could End

From WTOP...

Popular HOV Shortcut in Virginia Could End
December 6, 2007 - 7:37am

Adam Tuss, WTOP Radio

WASHINGTON - A popular shortcut -- one that lets all drivers use a three-mile stretch of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes -- could be going away.

The stretch is between Duke Street and Springfield along Interstate 395. It's open to everybody between 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Drivers use it and then get off at Route 644 West or at the flyover to the regular I-395 lanes.

But a vote will be taken in a week that could change the shortcut to HOV-only status. The Virginia Department of Transportation wants to make the lanes permanently HOV-3, saying the new Springfield interchange has provided more lanes for cars to pass through the area.

If the change is made, police also would have an easier time enforcing HOV rules.

If it is approved, the change will take place during the middle of January.

(Copyright 2007 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

From Michele McQuigg:

"I thought you would like to know that the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/ is discussing a proposed change to the I-395S HOV lanes. A three-mile section, from the slip ramp south of Duke Street (Turkeycock) to the Old Keene Mill Road exit or the flyover to the general purpose lanes, has been open to all traffic during the restricted hours (3:30-6:00PM) since 1982. The purpose was to allow traffic to bypass the congestion caused by the Springfield Interchange Improvement Project. Now that the project is completed, VDOT, with the support of the Northern Virginia HOV Advisory Committee, the Virginia State Police, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, is recommending that this three-mile section be returned to HOV-3 only.

The CTB is scheduled to vote on this on December 13, 2007. If approved, the change will be implemented in mid-January 2008.

I received the following information from VDOT:
- “During evening HOV hours, about 2,500 non-HOVs use this section of the HOV lanes. An operational study demonstrated that impacts of this change on the regular travel lanes of I-395 would be minimal, as half of the diverted traffic is expected to use the regular through lanes and half the local lanes, exiting at Springfield. The peak vehicle volumes on the HOV lanes would drop by over 30 percent, while the peak vehicle volumes through the interchange would grow by about 8 percent. The traffic flow in the general purpose lanes may also improve due to the elimination of the diverge at the Turkeycock ramp and the merge back to the general purpose lanes at the flyover.”

- “Restricting non-HOV vehicles from the HOV lanes is an important component of managing traffic during the I-95 fourth lane widening project at Newington, scheduled to begin in early 2008. We will need all the HOV capacity we can make available to encourage drivers in the general purpose lanes to shift to transit or carpooling during construction.”

- “Operating this stretch of roadway as HOV-only will simplify HOV enforcement for the Virginia State Police, as the entire 28-mile facility will be HOV-only. This will also eliminate the unsafe practice of motorists waiting on the shoulders of the HOV lanes for the restricted period to end.”

- “This change will have a positive impact on carpoolers, vanpoolers, and transit users in the corridor, and will hopefully attract new users to the facility.”

- “VDOT has developed an extensive communications plan to implement this change, consisting of radio ads, press releases, the use of variable message boards and the 511 system.”

Best Wishes,
Michele"

Cool! Although I always thought that section would be turned into HOV once the Springfield interchange work was completed. But noooooo, they need to vote on something so obvious.

Goober

Based on what facts do you claim this NoSUV? Can you prove the "harm" differential between a hybrid and non-hybrid to the environment? Can you prove that car emissions are actually causing harm, and not just theoretically?

DO NOT feed the troll! NoSUV is not a slug, nor a HOV driver!