I-95 HOT Lanes aka "Toll road" (Richmond, Woodbridge: 2014, house)

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by gomason

According to a Washington Post reporter I follow on Twitter (Lori Aratani), the target date was 12/10 I believe (remember it being a Wednesday b/c that's weird). Color me thrilled to pay $25 to drive to Stafford.

And I can't wait to see the mass confusion at Edsall Road. According to a recent WTOP poll, only 32% of 95 carpoolers have gotten an Ezpass Flex. If people who use it everyday don't know what's changing, how will the average Joe know?

They must be living under a rock, if they don't know about it yet. The only thing up in the air seems to be the official start date.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

They must be living under a rock, if they don't know about it yet. The only thing up in the air seems to be the official start date.

I can understand how people who only travel 95 occasionally don't know about the change. I brought it up to others at work today during lunch and they didn't know.

I am guessing traffic will be worse in the main lines than they are currently. Before we moved I used to drive home on 95 from Route 123 to 234. Usually traffic wouldn't be bad if I could get on 95 before 4:00. I think it will be worse now for drivers on that type of commute. When my son was in daycare and preschool he would ride with us and we could take the HOV, but after that I used the main lines for a few years. They tout carpooling as a way to use the HOT lanes without tolls, but when I did that drive nobody else was going just as far as 123 or even the Franconia-Springfield/FFX County Parkway. What about the through traffic? Vacationers? They won't be necessarily prepared to use the HOT lanes. During non-peak hours those travelers would have had two more lanes available to them.

I don't have an EZPass, but have considered getting one "just in case". My understanding is if you have the Flex, and don't use it for an HOV transaction within a 6 month period, you have to get the regular transponder or pay a fee.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

My understanding is if you have the Flex, and don't use it for an HOV transaction within a 6 month period, you have to get the regular transponder or pay a fee.

That's news to me. Anyone know?

[djplourd]

https://www.ezpassva.com/EZPages/Get-Flex.aspx

From the VDOT EZPass web page:

Please Note: Beginning July 1st 2015, users who have not used their Flex transponder for HOV transactions on Express Lanes for any prior six month period will be required to exchange their Flex transponder for a standard transponder (at no cost) or be subject to a one-time transponder functionality upgrade fee of $10. This only applies to transponders issued after October 1st 2014.

[ChristineVA]

I can understand how people who only travel 95 occasionally don't know about the change. I brought it up to others at work today during lunch and they didn't know.

Of course...my Fairfax friends who live off I66 haven't a clue about the details. However, those of us who travel the lanes daily have had signs in our faces for months. How anyone who travels on I95 doesn't know about it, is astounding. The other poster indicated that only 32% of I95 travelers know about it. I guess they are all sleeping in their carpools.

What about the through traffic? Vacationers? They won't be necessarily prepared to use the HOT lanes. During non-peak hours those travelers would have had two more lanes available to them.

It has been my experience that most vacationers who come from areas that don't have HOV lanes are terrified of them and won't use them. On any given weekend in the summer, I use the HOV lanes exclusively as I get from one area of Virginia to another and the HOV lanes are wide open. As I look into the regular lanes, you can see all the travelers (evidenced by RVs/bikes on the back, cars loaded up with beach gear) just sitting there. They don't know enough about the lanes to know whether it's okay to get into them or not. But, people do know the concept of tolls, and many regular North to South travelers already have EZ Passes, especially those up north. It might make it easier for travelers to figure that stretch out. Whether they want to pay $25.00 to get to Stafford is another matter.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by djplourd

https://www.ezpassva.com/EZPages/Get-Flex.aspx

From the VDOT EZPass web page:

Please Note: Beginning July 1st 2015, users who have not used their Flex transponder for HOV transactions on Express Lanes for any prior six month period will be required to exchange their Flex transponder for a standard transponder (at no cost) or be subject to a one-time transponder functionality upgrade fee of $10. This only applies to transponders issued after October 1st 2014.

Older transponders don't need the upgrade?

[ameridreamNoT]

haha...you guys complaining toll road in VA, other states are worse on this, i.e. Texas. Don't forget this, the purpose of toll roads are to generate MORE $ not to help the everyday congested traffic. It's very clear that the greed boundary has no limit. One can only hope flying cars will be on the way so that the toll roads will be empty.

[FlightAttendant]

I think the traffic on 95 will get worse..much worse...once this toll starts. The tolls are set so high that most people who use the express lanes non-rush hour will now be back on the regular lanes. The gridlock will get worse.

I work in DC but live in Stafford Co. My work hours are never the same from one week to the next so I am unable to carpool. That means that I will be forced to use the regular lanes all the time. I simply cannot afford the really high tolls being charged. Already my commute is about one and a half hours each way..at LEAST...and I anticipate it getting much longer. It has caused me to re-evaluate if I want to continue living here.

That said, I have started looking for a house in Richmond. I can commute by plane to work from there and avoid this odious traffic situation. I don't want to move...really, I love my house...but the commute has become just too much. I used to love NOVA ..I have lived here since 1980...but now I am starting to hate it, all because of traffic. So, good luck to all who have to commute. Carpoolers will love it, regular folks will hate it.

[djplourd]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Older transponders don't need the upgrade?

Good question. Now that I re-read the statement I'm not sure. It would have made more sense if it said issued before October 1st 2014.

I've had my EZPass Flex for over a year and have only used it in HOV mode a couple of times. I may only use it in HOV mode once or twice a year but I chose to get the flex just for those rare occasions. I guess its worth the $10 upgrade if necessary.

[airjay75]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Older transponders don't need the upgrade?

The regular EZ Pass or "upgrade fee" seems to me like nothing but a way to extract more money from EZ Pass users. They probably want users such as myself who will rarely use the HOV mode, but want the ability to use it just in case, to go with a regular EZ Pass and have to always pay the tolls. If I want the privilege of having the EZ Pass Flex, then I have to pay the $10 upgrade fee. I suppose they may argue that the EZ Pass Flex costs more money to manufacture than a regular EZ Pass, which I might be willing to buy, but it does seem suspect to me. Glad I got my two EZ Pass Flexes before October 1st.