Please Help!! Commute and Tolls Question (Reston, McLean: construction, legally, airport) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

bryan2449 · 10-11-2010, 11:51 AM

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking on these forums for about 6 months and they have been a great help to my wife and I as we have moved to NoVa from out of state. I hope that now I am registered, I can help others as well (with my limited knowledge) as others have helped me.

My commute is from Ashburn (near Waxpool Rd. and Loudon County Parkway) to McLean. I have driven the most obvious route several times now (Dulles Greenway to Dulles Toll Rd to Rt 123) but the toll are huge. I end up paying around $5.00 + $0.75 + $1.00 = $6.75 one way which is completely unsustainable for our budget. Is the best alternate route to take rt 28 / sully around to avoid the greenway and then just deal with the $1.75 (one way) toll into town or is there a better way on the back roads where I could avoid the toll altogether?

Also, I am having a hard time with the tolls in general. It seems that on the Greenway you are tolled for where you exit (even if you got on 1/2 mile earlier) and on the Dulles Toll Rd you are tolled at the entrance and exit? Is this correct? When I tried to use my EZ Pass earlier, it didn't register and all it said was "toll not paid". I was under the impression that there was supposed to be different colored lights or something?

Thanks for any insight you can give. We love it here, just trying to find our way.

Bryan

pilotguy · 10-11-2010, 12:26 PM

Hey Bryan,

I had the same questions when moving to Ashburn.

Essentially, the Greenway is a rip.

When I first moved out here, I was taking Route 7 to GW parkway to get downtown. (Cap Hill) It took quite a while and the lights slowed everything way down.

Now, I take waxpool over to 28 south to the toll road to the beltway. Its only $1.75 and well worth the time savings over route 7.

Shoot me a pm if you have any more questions!

bmwguydc · 10-11-2010, 02:41 PM

Any alternatives, through Herndon, Reston, and Vienna would take as long, or longer, than Route 7 with the traffic and lights, so I would agree that getting on the Toll Road at Route 28 is the best alternative, other than the Access Highway. To legally use the Access Highway, you must transact business at the airport on the day of travel, and you must keep your receipt in case you are stopped and questioned. So, you would not save anything, since you would have to spend money to use the highway, just as you would with the toll transponder.

Call, or visit, the transponder service office in Sterling to see what might be the problem with your account, if it registered "not paid" when you passed through the plaza. You might have a malfunctioning transponder, or there might be another reason, such as changing license plates from one state to another.

bryan2449 · 10-11-2010, 05:33 PM

Thank you both for helping out. I figured 28 to the toll road was the way to go - it is just a lifestyle adjustment to which I will have to become accustomed. Should be worth missing out on a bit of the traffic! I took the car to the EZPASS service center and they said that the antenna in my windshield was interfering with the signal. I moved it and it tested with a stronger signal so that should take care of the problem. See you all on the roads and around the forums!

bmwguydc · 10-11-2010, 05:45 PM

How interesting that a car antenna was the culprit with regard to the transmitter not working. I had not heard that one before. Thanks for sharing the update, and good luck with your commute.

Route 28 has been greatly improved in the last few years, as at-grade intersections have been transformed into exit ramps. Where there used to be significant light delays, now have slight volume delays, but as you know, I'm sure, Waxpool can be delayed a bit, but it's not as bad as the whole stretch from 267 to Waxpool would have been just a couple of years ago.

RiotAct41 · 10-13-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

How interesting that a car antenna was the culprit with regard to the transmitter not working. I had not heard that one before. Thanks for sharing the update, and good luck with your commute.

Route 28 has been greatly improved in the last few years, as at-grade intersections have been transformed into exit ramps. Where there used to be significant light delays, now have slight volume delays, but as you know, I'm sure, Waxpool can be delayed a bit, but it's not as bad as the whole stretch from 267 to Waxpool would have been just a couple of years ago.

Inexplicably, there's still that traffic light just before the Pacific Blvd. exit going south on 28, right where the W&OD Trail parking area is. Drives me nuts. Just put a stop sign there for the people in the parking lot and be done with it.

SteelCityRising · 10-13-2010, 08:36 PM

Ideally the Silver Line would have been operational by now if the NIMBYs in Reston hadn't "railed" against it for so long. Then maybe our only options wouldn't be an expensive toll road or a horribly-congested Route 7 (ducks flying shoes from the Reston NIMBYs!)

bmwguydc · 10-13-2010, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiotAct41

Inexplicably, there's still that traffic light just before the Pacific Blvd. exit going south on 28, right where the W&OD Trail parking area is. Drives me nuts. Just put a stop sign there for the people in the parking lot and be done with it.

I know. I really wish that the powers that be would reevaluate the need for a signal at that intersection.

cdmurphy · 10-14-2010, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

I know. I really wish that the powers that be would reevaluate the need for a signal at that intersection.

I think it's going away. They built a brand-new parking lot for the W&OD trail right off the new Pacific Blvd. extension from Waxpool to Nokes. The parking lot isn't open yet (not sure why).

bmwguydc · 10-14-2010, 02:10 PM

Thank you for the update, cdmurphy. I knew that I was not insane when I thought there was a new lot under construction, but could not remember the location.