I-95 HOT Lanes aka "Toll road" (2013, construction)

[johnsonkk]

Last year there was a thread on the lack of success on the I-495 beltway (losses of $11 million in the first six weeks) but recent updates have been sparse on current profit levels.

But for the upcoming I-95 HOT lanes, the state of Virginia (taxpayers) will have to pay tax dollars to cover the company that funded the HOT lanes if ridership and toll fees do not match their funding goals. If a significant number of HOV vehicles travel on the HOT lanes (not paying the tolls), then we start writing checks.

From a recent meeting:
TRANSPORTATION: Express lane future paved with gold? | The News Desk

"The threshold is based on a complicated formula comparing the percentage of free HOV traffic to toll-paying drivers. If the HOV traffic reaches the threshold, the state has to pay the companies 70 percent of the toll rate."

"That agreement is no secret; it’s in the contract, which has been online since the summer of 2012."

My point is that with the current flow of HOV traffic on I-95, there is no way that a significant increase in the amount of traffic will by supported on the roadways without gridlock. The volume needed to cover those toll fees cannot be added to the current HOV traffic and still have a functional, moving highway. In the end, Virginia taxpayers will end up sending checks to the investors on this one.

[CrystalCities]

Another lasting legacy of Bob McDonnell. We needed more roads, but privately held toll roads built with government subsidies shouldn't even be legal to build.

[e2ksj3]

These people are crooks. It was already a mistake to basically convert a tax payer paid road to a private toll road. Now this is an even bigger slap in the face that we will have to pay this company money if they don't get enough toll revenue. I don't know why people keep falling for this and putting these people in office. So much for the "free market".

[Grsz11]

At least with 495 they were adding entirely new lanes. The 395/95 project is just taking lanes that were there and making you pay for them (even if you only carpool, you are still paying $1/month for the EZ Pass). Not to mention it is almost useless to pay since you have to exit and take the last 6 miles or so into DC in the regular lanes.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Grsz11

At least with 495 they were adding entirely new lanes. The 395/95 project is just taking lanes that were there and making you pay for them (even if you only carpool, you are still paying $1/month for the EZ Pass).

Exactly.

[airjay75]

I don't know, I'm not as down on the HOT concept. I think it is really a pretty creative way to manage traffic in areas as congested as ours. It seems to me that you just alter the amount of tolls to both maximize revenue and keep the number of people in the HOT lanes at an optimal level. Once you get enough statistics on traffic and the decisions people make regarding whether the cost for the trip in the HOT lanes is worth it, I don't think it is that hard to manage the HOT lanes. Plus, the tolling will be on the HOT lanes during all hours of the day. Even when traffic is flowing smoothly on 95, you are still going to get people (such as myself) who are willing to pay a couple bucks to have two lanes mostly to themselves.

Maybe it will be a bust - who really knows. But to deem it a failure before they've even begun seems a bit overly pessimistic to me.

[ChristineVA]

What botehrs me about the I95 project is that they have effectively removed two lanes of usable road permanently to the general population. Sure, from 6-9AM and 3:30-whatever time in the evening, only a select group of the people can use those lanes; however, at all other times, two lanes of traffic are available for use in a given direction. Anyone can use them. And if you don't think that those two lanes make a big difference on weekends in the summer in the direction that those two lanes are flowing, all you have to do is look to the other side and see the difference.

That said, now anyone can ride those lanes during rush hour; provided you are flush enough with cash to do it. I saw someone on TV complaining about this that it's really something that favors people who making more money. The rest of the people get to sit in gridlock. I can tell you that I am at a point in my life that I will pay whatever to bypass the traffic but there was a time I could not have done that. I really don't like that aspect of the HOT lanes.

At least on 495, they got 2 extra lanes out of it and didn't impact their regular lanes. In that particular case, I see the reasoning for the HOT lanes. But on I95, they just "took" our lanes.

[FCNova]

How will they determine which direction traffic in the HOT lanes flows during non rush hour? How'd that work with the HOV lanes?

[Grsz11]

Originally Posted by FCNova

How will they determine which direction traffic in the HOT lanes flows during non rush hour? How'd that work with the HOV lanes?

Well during construction they are typically closed overnight and open back up in the morning to head north and switch around mid-day. They leave them southbound from Friday evening until they switch between Saturday and Sunday. I'm assuming it would be the same thing for the new lanes, just tolled.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by FCNova

How will they determine which direction traffic in the HOT lanes flows during non rush hour? How'd that work with the HOV lanes?

Here is how the direction currently changes.

High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes