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lrb1977
New Member
6 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 10:48:24
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Below is part of an article that appeared in today's Washington Post and perhaps will become an issue in the future. In my opinion, this would not be good for slugging. What are your thoughts?
(To read the full article go to www.washingtonpost.com or B1 of the newspaper)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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mirangus
Advanced Member
286 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 11:12:25
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There are some huge gaps in this plan!! Does this toll affect those who carpool or slug? Are there going to be time consuming toll plazas? Are those that want to travel in the HOV lanes going to be REQUIRED to have a smart tag? How is a smart tag going to know whether or not you have 3 people in your vehicle? Do you just get charged anyway? You're stinkin' right this will affect slugging!!!!! I, for one, would NOT be able to work in the DC area anymore. It would cost me far too much everyday, and I would not want to sit in the proper lanes for hours and hours everyday...THAT'S WHY I SLUG!!!!
And now, I will settle down before I give myself an aneurism. |
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Arbo
Senior Member Member
210 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 11:43:05
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| Its a terrible idea! I feel it would have just the opposie effect as that touted by those who want the $ it MAY generate. Anyway, in effect they are already "HOT" lanes for those violators who happen to get caught. Who do we write too to complain about the idea? |
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Arbo
Senior Member Member
210 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 11:45:17
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| In addition, I recommend they repeal the law allowing hybrids an dalternative fueled vehicles in the restricted lanes, go back to HOV-4 on the I95/395 corridor, and extend the evening restriction to 6:30pm. |
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tondalea
Average Member
79 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 13:13:55
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| We would probably end up with more traffice in the HOV than regular lanes.I think the HOV-4 and extension sounds good. Good for slugging too. |
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Bob
Moderator
766 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 13:41:00
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This reminds me of the study a few years back that was looking at changing the HOV on 95 to HOV-2. It was opposition by slugs and other HOV users that shut that down. The study was completed but no action was ever taken thankfully. That would have messed us up too.
I had read an article only about a week ago that was talking about this, but the jist of that story was that they were considering using HOT to finance new lanes, such as on the beltway. There is no mention of that in the current article. -- just talking about current HOV lanes.
We should write our county and state representatives on this as soon as possible. |
Edited by - Bob on 17 Jan 2003 07:58:47 |
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mlrdad
New Member
17 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 14:38:24
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| I agree - the toll idea is terrible. It will just conjest the hov lanes and kill slugging. Bottom line - more cars on the road - less per passenger milage. Time for a letter to Ms. Mcquigg |
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lrb1977
New Member
6 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 14:44:12
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| I'm glad to see that so far we are all in agreement. I will try to stay up-to-date on this issue and if it sounds like they are seriously considering following through, I will organize a write-in campaign to Gov. Warner, Gov. Ehrlich and our respective local Reps. for those interested in participating. Please feel free to share anything you may here down the road. Thanks. |
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lovetoslug
Starting Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 15:31:14
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CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS????? 
I can't imagine there is anyone who uses the Slugging System (Driver or Slug) who would want this to happen. I think we have to be alert and voice our opinions LOUDLY on this Issue!!!! Doesn't this HOT idea go against the Federal mandates to reduce traffic in Metropolitan Areas? I guess Energy Conservation (and congestion problems) become a non-issue when you've got the Almighty $$$ up against it! Everyone has their price don't they?
To me this is a simple case of poor management (and possibly misappropriated funds), the same as when they raise taxes, I always think that's a laughable concept. Wouldn't it be nice if WE had the power to NOT pay taxes when we ran over our personal budgets...wouldn't that be Fun. "Ooops, can't pay that tax this year, just don't have the funds!" 
Anyway, let's stay alert and make a collaborative effort to squash this idea fast! Personally I don't care what happens with the other HOV lanes, most don't really work well anyway (I-66 HOV is a joke), BUT I-95/395 work Great, so let's not let the politicians screw up a good thing.
Let's get organized and make sure we stop this before it gets started!
Love-to-Slug |
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Admin
Forum Admin
993 Posts |
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Admin
Forum Admin
993 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 20:57:53
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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
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MDC
Moderator
631 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2003 : 23:23:53
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I wonder if you'll be able to turn the transponder off if you happen to have one and enough passengers in the vehicle. I can't imagine "HOT" promoting carpooling in any way.
I don't think bringing back HOV-4 is a good idea. One of the stupidest bumper stickers I've ever seen was a "bring back HOV-4" one I saw once. That would mean installing/uninstalling my daughter's car seat every time I take her anywhere. It would also mean signifigantly longer lines for drivers, and longer waits for slugs going to less popular destinations.
I agree with dumping the CF(HOV-1) exemption. Especially before the hybrid GMC Suburban,Toyota Sequoia, and others like them are out. They will almost certainly qualify as low-emissions vehicles. |
Edited by - MDC on 16 Jan 2003 23:31:48 |
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Bob
Moderator
766 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2003 : 08:24:48
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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.
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mlrdad
New Member
17 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2003 : 09:03:31
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quote:
[i]Originally posted by Bob[/i]
[br]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.
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bocagrant
New Member
7 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2003 : 11:00:03
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| 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. |
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n/a
deleted
14 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2003 : 11:19:49
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Rather than spending $1M on a study, why don't they use the money to hire more cops to bust HOV violators? The fines collected would pay back the $1M over time. Heaven knows how many violators use the HOV lanes every day. If I had a dollar for every violator I see everyday, I wouldn't have to work!
Or use the money towards security in commuter lots or add more ramps to HOV lanes to make it more accessible for people north of Alexandria?
We all know the slugging system works -- it's been in effect for over 10 years. Why throw money away on a study when we all know what the outcome already is? |
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HOV to HOT Lanes
Topic Locked
