Commuting and HOV?? (Arlington, Leesburg, Fairfax: houses, university, live)

[miko920]

Ijust moved to VA from San Dieog and I am hoping somebody could tell me where there is HOV only on the freeways around here during rush hour. Currently I need to go from Rosslyn to Tysons and would like to use 66W - is this HOV only? Once I move into my home I need to go from Leesburg to Tysons via the toll road - is this HOV only? I just looked on a website that showed HOV 2 on the toll road between 28 and the main toll booth - did this mean the entire toll road or did it mean that there is only one lane that is HOV 2 at certain times. If anybody could tell me how 66 and the toll road work or where I could find clear, accurate information on this, i would really appreciate it.

[rsxdrivr]

On the Toll Road, there's one lane (left lane) that is designated for HOV from 6am-9am and 4pm-6:30pm.

[LLD]

what confuses me is how all lanes of 66E are HOV after you cross the beltway? Can anyone explain that? What roads do people take if they need to get into DC and are driving alone?

I found it totally bizzarre to see cars pulled over on the shoulder last Friday morning about 10 minutes before the HOV time period lifted. My son and I were on our way to American University so got on 495 from 66. But there were all these people sitting on the shoulder of 66 just waiting for the 66E lanes into DC to be "non-HOV."

Surely there is some better solution?

[jb124]

Miko: you're fine for Rosslyn to Tysons on 66, the HOV is only active in the afternoons for 66 West. Once you move to Leesburg just do like rsxdrivr said and stay out of the left lane on the Toll Road.

LLD: it's been like that for as long as I can remember (20+ years?). 66 inside the beltway is constantly backed up at specific points (even off-hours) since it's only 2 lanes a lot of the time. Alternate routes into the city mainly include US-50 and the GW Parkway. Slug lines are one option, but mass transit is the best option IMO.

There is no win-win solution unfortunately... widening 66 to 4 lanes each way would help a lot, but you'd have to do something with the Metro lines, demolish some houses, and/or re-arrange streets.

[LLD]

What is a slug line?

[jb124]

Originally Posted by LLD

What is a slug line?

It used to be an informal thing where people looking to get on the the HOV lanes would meet up with people looking for rides to the city. Now it's much more organized with signs being posted in places like commuter lots or near highway entrances with destinations. You simply stand in line under the sign with your hopeful destination, and a line of cars comes though picking people up. I've never actually slugged myself, but my coworkers have done it off and on for years.

Slugging - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by LLD

what confuses me is how all lanes of 66E are HOV after you cross the beltway? Can anyone explain that? What roads do people take if they need to get into DC and are driving alone?

I found it totally bizzarre to see cars pulled over on the shoulder last Friday morning about 10 minutes before the HOV time period lifted. My son and I were on our way to American University so got on 495 from 66. But there were all these people sitting on the shoulder of 66 just waiting for the 66E lanes into DC to be "non-HOV."

Surely there is some better solution?

Our I-66 scheme of having the number of lanes reduce as we head closer to city center is indeed bizarre. Don't look for it to change anytime soon - Arlingtonians love their increased property values for the convenience that this scheme brings to Arlington residents, so they're not about to let I-66 be widened in their county.

The less cynical answer would be that we in DC greatly value folks using mass transit to travel into the District. Most local's reaction to your post would be "duh, you're not supposed to drive into the District, park at a Metro station and Metro into town - American University even has its own Metro stop!" - but then, non-locals aren't automatically supposed to know this.

Should your son decide to attend AU - a fine institution - make sure to visit him by way of Metro.

Brian

[LLD]

LOL..... sorry just chuckling at being called a non-local. I've lived in the DC metro area 3 times but admittedly that was in Maryland so I wasn't as familiar with the NOVA ethos.

I agree with taking mass transit and am a big proponent. I just think it is rather bizarre that there are NO non-HOV lanes on 66 after crossing 495.

In Maryland IIRC there are several driving arteries into the District and some have HOV lanes and I think some even become one way during rush hour but I don't know that any of the roads become HOV only roads. I don't think that is the case. At least it wasn't while I lived there. It could be changed now.

[J12345]

Is there a slug line from Fairfax to Pentagon?