I-95 HOT Lanes aka "Toll road" (Woodbridge, Washington: car, gas)

[ReblTeen84]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Was the traffic flow light when you got pulled over? I know camera technology is amazing but the white paddle sensors, congested highway, seems challenging. It's nearly impossible seeing the single driver with two kids in back.

It was pretty busy when I drove by - not as busy as I've seen it, but not dead either. And I've got tinted windows. Either he saw the backseats in a flash of sun, or I was the only guy on the road at the time with that HOV switch on and he took a chance. To be honest, when he pulled me over, I had no clue why and told him so...'till he told me that switch was on and I looked, then went AW $&*@!. AND it was on my birthday haha.

[ReblTeen84]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

I leave Dale City at 5:15 AM. The backup is from Dale City/Rippon (and points south I suppose) up to the Occoquan Exit. It was *never* backed up there at that time prior to the opening of the HOT lanes. That backup did not happen until about 6:00-6:15.

On the way home, (leaving DC at 2:30), there is a standard backup now where the cars exit off the HOV lanes (Edsall) into the regular lanes. That crawls past the I-495 interchange, then opens up again. The next back up is from Lorton to Prince William Parkway. Again, that backup never occurred at that time, nor did the Edsall backup happen.

Sorry to not clarify earlier--I had described this exact situation upthread shortly after HOT lanes opened.

It's weird - since the lanes opened, when I leave for work around 7:40am coming off the Dale City exit, there's little traffic on the main lanes - it's usually open until you hit Springfield, maybe a bit closer. There was a little traffic at 123 this morning, but that's a first. Before the lanes opened, traffic would be backed up past the exit on 95 and backed up on the ramp as well - I'd have to go up to Opitz and get on there to avoid sitting on the ramp for 15 minutes.

The tolls are pretty low that time of the morning too, I usually jump on the lanes at Dale City, 123 or just past Lorton and then take the 495 ramp from the lanes to avoid the backup coming off the ramp from 95-495. I use the 495 Express Lanes every day though. Not sitting in the garbage traffic they call the 495 main lanes.

[roninsedge]

I jump onto 95 from Richmond Hwy at 9 in the morning and would always take the HOV lanes. Now that the HOT lanes are open, the main line seems to be running smoother at that time in the morning and I am still getting to work in 30 min. The evening still sucks since I leave at 6 to get home. At least now when I leave for home, if I need to get there quickly I can take the HOT lanes. Before the HOT lanes, I was sitting in bumper to bumper in either the main or HOV lanes. What I would really like is to know how much it is to ride from the Beltway to Rte 1. They don't post that fee for some reason.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by roninsedge

I jump onto 95 from Richmond Hwy at 9 in the morning and would always take the HOV lanes. Now that the HOT lanes are open, the main line seems to be running smoother at that time in the morning and I am still getting to work in 30 min. The evening still sucks since I leave at 6 to get home. At least now when I leave for home, if I need to get there quickly I can take the HOT lanes. Before the HOT lanes, I was sitting in bumper to bumper in either the main or HOV lanes. What I would really like is to know how much it is to ride from the Beltway to Rte 1. They don't post that fee for some reason.

Because I think it's two fees. Beltway to Rt. 644 is one fee. When you get down to 644 you will get a new sign for the price of the rest of the trip.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Because I think it's two fees. Beltway to Rt. 644 is one fee. When you get down to 644 you will get a new sign for the price of the rest of the trip.

I travel the same time south on the Hot lanes and the amounts appear to change little day to day. Different times, different days, sure but so far the prices haven't swung that much. If the general rate from the beltway to Woodbridge is $4, would $4.50 be a deciding factor?

[Grsz11]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

If they charge you they may also fine you?

Hmmm. My account now does show an HOV trip from last week. I haven't seen police in the afternoon, and when I have seen them in the morning they were pulling over trucks with trailers.

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by Grsz11

Hmmm. My account now does show an HOV trip from last week. I haven't seen police in the afternoon, and when I have seen them in the morning they were pulling over trucks with trailers.

I am asking just because on the older toll roads which I am more familiar with there were some gotcha's that they could enforce. Like if you get a ticket (Way back when) when you get on the toll road and get to your exit a lot faster than the speed limit would allow I think they could give you a ticket.

Also if you missed your exit and did a U-Turn and got off going the other way this could cause problems. Maybe I am am paranoid but I think the people that design these systems know what they are doing and have a lot of working models to look at if not experience. I am more likely to speed than I am to try to avoid tolls.

[gomason]

I've noticed that it's consistently $2-3 more to take the HOT lanes the full length in the afternoons compared to the morning.

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by gomason

I've noticed that it's consistently $2-3 more to take the HOT lanes the full length in the afternoons compared to the morning.

Traffic always seems worse on 95 in the afternoons than the mornings in my opinion do that makes sense. Also who wants to pay money to get to work sooner? I think people are much more likely to pay to get home sooner.

[gomason]

A third of 95 Express Lanes drivers are carpooling - The Washington Post

Among the 37,000 vehicles traveling in Northern Virginia’s new 95 Express Lanes on an average weekday, 33 percent are using an E-ZPass Flex in the carpool setting, according to the express lanes operator. The first figures released since high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes operations began on Dec. 29 show an average toll of $4.01.

Interesting information. I'm actually kind of surprised that only 1/3 of the traffic in the express lanes are HOV. Probably because of all the non-rush hour people on weekends, etc paying.