HOV to HOT Lanes

Here's the entire article:

Va. Willing to Study Toll Lanes' Potential

By Katherine Shaver
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 16, 2003; Page B01


Northern Virginia motorists have moved a step closer to being able to buy their way out of traffic.

With a regional endorsement yesterday, Virginia is seeking $1 million in federal money to study whether to allow lone drivers to pay a toll to use free-moving carpool lanes. The lanes would be studied for highways such as Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway, parts of Interstate 95 and the Dulles Toll Road.

Hurried motorists would have a way to move faster, state officials said, and the money collected could go toward a longer-term traffic solution, such as increasing bus and rail service or improving roads.

"This is a completely new opportunity to manage our highways to give people more choices and get more capacity out of the existing system," said Tom Farley, the Northern Virginia administrator for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The idea of high-occupancy toll, or "HOT," lanes has surfaced in the Washington region before, but it has never gotten a thorough look. This would be the first time Northern Virginia has studied it. Maryland planned to consider the idea for Route 50's new carpool lanes, but Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D) killed it in 2001, saying HOT lanes were unfair to lower-income drivers. Henry Fawell, a spokesman for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), said HOT lanes did not surface as a major transportation issue during the campaign. He said HOT lanes are not "an immediate priority on the governor's transportation agenda" but that Ehrlich might be open to proposals.

The region's Transportation Planning Board endorsed Virginia's application for the federal money yesterday. The vote was purely symbolic, but the fact that public officials even discussed the possibility of charging people for traffic relief represents a stark shift from the tepid political support HOT lanes have had locally.

Transportation officials across the country are eyeing HOT lanes as a potential solution to traffic and money problems.

Critics say the pay-to-move tolls amount to a tax that creates two tiers of roads, allowing the haves to zoom past the have-nots. Critics have dubbed them "Lexus lanes."

But supporters say the region's traffic woes and dismal financial outlook have gotten so bad that the "Lexus lane" argument is beginning to lose ground. Even the influential AAA, which loudly criticized the idea just 18 months ago, now supports examining HOT lanes as a way to generate badly needed money. It is one of the few potential traffic solutions on which the AAA, highway officials and environmentalists agree.

"I haven't been a fan of HOT lanes, but the fact is we have no money to build roads or mass transit in our region," said Lon Anderson, spokesman for mid-Atlantic AAA. "If we're going to fix our transportation system, it looks like the money is going to have to come from tolls."

Northern Virginia officials took great pains yesterday to tout the lanes as a way to ease traffic, reduce air pollution and use every inch of spare pavement in an otherwise jam-packed road system.

"This won't take care of any short-term budget situation," Farley said. "We're not using this to raise money."

Transportation officials say studies of HOT lanes in southern California and Texas show that they are more "Lumina lanes" than Lexus lanes. Drivers of every income level have been willing to pay a few more dollars when in a hurry, whether they are trying to catch a plane or avoid a late pickup fee at their child's day-care center.

Motorists who have an electronic transponder on their vehicles, similar to Virginia's Smart Tag, can enter the carpool lane. A variable message sign tells them the going rate at that time. Tolls can change every five minutes or so, rising as the lanes become more crowded. Motorists are charged the toll in effect when they entered the HOT lane.

If the carpool lane starts getting too crowded, highway officials raise the toll, hoping to improve traffic flow. The toll rates in California vary from about 75 cents to about $4 during the morning and evening rush. The tolls are automatically deducted from the transponders. Charging more during peak times encourages people to drive at off-peak times, traffic experts say.

State officials say they would like to study opening I-66 inside the Capital Beltway to lone motorists willing to pay. That 11-mile segment is now restricted to carpooling during peak times, jamming side roads and creating one of the region's worst bottlenecks where single drivers are forced to divert from I-66 onto the Beltway. Carpoolers could continue to use the high-occupancy vehicles (HOV) lanes for free.

They say they also want to study HOT lanes on I-395 and on a widened Beltway. If funded, the study would take 18 months, Farley said.


© 2003 The Washington Post Company

Below is the text of a letter I plan to send to Tom Davis and others; please comment on it if you wish.

Bob




I recently learned of the Virginia Department of Transportation's plans to study the use of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-395 and I-66. I would like to express my strong opposition to this plan and study.

The purpose of HOV lanes is H-O-V -- to reduce traffic and congestion.

The HOV system in Virginia on 95 is the most successful in the country and now VDOT plans to mess it up because of their incompetence and overspending on the Springfield interchange.

Make no mistake -- any form of HOT lanes on 95 will ruin carpooling and the entire slugging system. I have been carpooling and slugging for 14 years and am somewhat of an expert on the issue. Traffic flow on the HOV lanes has increased substantially in the past few years and cannot handle a huge influx of single drivers. We don't need a million dollar study to tell us that.

In addition, there has been no mention in recent reports of the environmental benefits of carpooling and the fact that allowing everyone to use the car pools lanes will have a major impact on air pollution.

I am also concerned about the long-term effects on the HOV lanes of allowing the "hybrid" vehicles to use the lanes. As you may know, the carmakers are planning to ramp up the production of hybrids over the next few years, including the introduction of hybrid sport utes. Within a few years a high percentage of the new cars will be hybrid. What plans are in place to assure us the HOV will not be swamped with hybrids with one driver?

Tens of thousands of people have moved to Prince William, Stafford, and Fredericksburg in recent years. Perhaps the top issue fueling this growth has been a good commute to DC on either the HOV lanes or VRE. Let's make sure that the traffic flow in the HOV lanes continues to provide a good incentive for carpooling.

This looks to me like the first salvo of payback for us (at least I voted "NO") voting the Regional Transportation Tax down. I expect there will be more to follow. Never forget these people are relentless when picking our pockets.

I hate these issues because I'm torn. As a slugger I'm obviously in opposition to this idea. However, as a taxpayer, toll roads represent the ideal way in which to pay for public goods, such as roads. But as a selfish individual, I place my own well being ahead of others and conclude that this toll proposal is a bad idea.

That being said, actions such as those taken by mlrdad will be necessary in order to put this "HOT" idea to rest. Let us not forget that slugging is not officially endorsed or recognized by VDOT so we must speak out in opposition to this if we are to be heard.

Governor Mark Warner
State Capitol
3rd Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-2211

The Honorable Tom Davis (represents the Woodbridge area)
306 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-1492

The Honorable Jo Ann Davis (represents the Fredericksburg area)
1123 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-4261

** I would send two copies of each letter to each office - one addressed to the Member and one addressed ATTN: Transportation Legislative Assistant.

I don't have the State Offices and Member addresses in front of me right now, but I would suggest righting to your local state rep also. You can call the numbers above and they should be able to provide that information to you.