Question on NoVa Rt.66 traffic - Merging Traffic (Oakton, Fairfax: taxes, live)

[RJB77]

Today I was leaving the Vienna metro and proceeded to get onto Rt.66 at one of the nearby entry points (the one that comes off Virginia Center Blvd.) As I came onto rt. 66 West, I saw that there was a line of cars bumper to bumper in the far left lane and most of the people coming on 66 were trying to merge left. As I continued west bound on the right, I came upon a car that was stopped with left directional on, trying to get into the left lane. This car wasn't moving and caused all traffic behind them to stop. I was directly behind this car. After a seeing that this person was not going to be let in any time soon, I proceeded to pass on the right, straddling the lane marker and shoulder. I continued west in the proper lane with intention of getting off at the upcoming exit (I did not try to merge into the left lane). As I proceeded down the next exit, I was pulled over by county police. I was told that I passed a car on the shoulder and that is a county violation. I was subsequently cited for such. I thought I did the right thing by going around the car, obviously not. It didn't seem appropriate to just stop in a travel lane. I would think those who stop hoping to get in would be subject to a violation. My thoughts are that you have to keep moving and if you can’t get in before that lane ends, you need to exit 66 and come around again or try another route. People sit there every day trying to get in and most do, but sometimes cars will just sit and sit, causing everyone else to stop or they just go around them. Are my thoughts correct on what should happen, or is it acceptable (and legal) to stop in the travel lane and wait for someone to let you in that far left lane.

[Bull Run Paradise]

In Massachusetts, this is part of state law and listed in the driver's manual to use the shoulder to pass cars waiting to make a left turn, possibly also waiting to merge. Apparently, it's a violation in Fairfax County; live and learn.

[yamota]

this is why I bypass nutley and merge into 66 from 123, further on down, a little bit easier, but not by much

[FC Merrifield]

I guess technically what you did was wrong, but you should be applauded for easing the flow of traffic. That merge area is terrible with so many cars trying to merge left at the last second. I agree that those are the people that should be ticketed, not you.

[Jayess1]

Passing/driving on an interstate shoulder = ticket everywhere, idiot who can't (won't) merge also = everywhere. Try your horn... or chanting something calming.

[snowdenscold]

First, just as an FYI - It's I-66, not route 66. People around here might give you funny looks if you say the latter.

Second, I'm a little confused what happened. You say:

I continued west in the proper lane with intention of getting off at the upcoming exit (I did not try to merge into the left lane).

It sounded like you were in the lanes on the north side of 66 that are for entering / exiting Nutley and the metro. If you got on from VA Center, what upcoming exit would you have gotten off at other than the one that takes you back to Country Creek Road (metro area to the right, Oakton HS to the left). Wouldn't it have been easier to not have gotten on [pseudo] I-66 at all? (Actually, now that I think about it, if you were in the most eastern lot, it probably would be faster to do that than trying to turn left and go through several lights... assuming there aren't people backing up the right lane, haha).

Otherwise, you were just going around a guy trying to merge in to go up a few more spots and merge in ahead of him to start to merge back onto the real I-66. Can't say I blame you if there was plenty of space before the end, but maybe the cop thought it was obnoxious. I'd have to see the relative positions to make a judgment call.


Take a look:
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=3...p=1&sz=15&z=17

[dkf747]

Where was the cop sitting? That would give us a better idea what you're talking about. My guess is you were under the bridge. The problem with my guess is how could the cop spot you there? My advice is not to do what you did if a cop is there, otherwise I would say to keep doing it.

[GustavoFring]

Near the end of the month, I've observed them do this in multiple places. Some warranted (westbound 7100 right before the toll road where people would start using the merging lane as an exit lane and cause a complete cluster), some not (sounds like this one wasn't). Purely revenue generation because the state is afraid to raise taxes for essential services, so they play the predator game and forcibly extract money from the unlucky . In the past, you use to be able to explain what was going on, but they weren't interested in correcting a behavior, they were interested in your money.

[jcnycarch]

Originally Posted by FC Merrifield

I guess technically what you did was wrong, but you should be applauded for easing the flow of traffic. That merge area is terrible with so many cars trying to merge left at the last second. I agree that those are the people that should be ticketed, not you.

I take this route daily. I have noticed that cops have staked out that area more and more and are catching the shoulder riders. Just be aware. Most, if not all, are getting off of 66, therefore not cutting the one's going onto 66.

As for ticketing those people, you have to know that most of those cars are entering from the Vienna metro or southbound Nutley. Those entries lead directly to the right hand lane (the lane we're talking about). Since the cars are usually backed up way past this point, I don't blame the cars for traveling as far west as possible before merging. You usually will have a hard time merging anyways regardless of where along that service road.

[cb at sea]

In Va., it's against the law to cross a solid line.....but that does seem an extreme citation, considering the circumstances. Perhaps, the officer didn't know about the stopped car.

It's also a law that when someone has their blinker on, that you allow them to merge!