95 HOT will Open on 12/14. Free until 12/29. (Washington: transfer, legal, licenses)

[phoenixmike11]

What

Users guide to new express lanes on 95

[Zack]

Originally Posted by elias9193

All the hot lanes did was move the south bound evening bottle neck down to the Garrisonville exit!

Yes, but this will help the northern part of S/B I-95 around Lorton and Woodbridge since the bottleneck is 10 miles further south now.

I believe there's a phase 2 plan to extend the lanes past Fredericksburg, but no build timeline.

[boyd888]

These are the same lanes that used to be completely free during off hours like the weekends right? So you can't take the HOV down to like Potomac Mills without paying some sort of toll.

Seems like it may actually increase congestion on the main highway. It's not like more people will start using lanes now that they cost money vs. when they were free.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by boyd888

These are the same lanes that used to be completely free during off hours like the weekends right? So you can't take the HOV down to like Potomac Mills without paying some sort of toll.

Seems like it may actually increase congestion on the main highway. It's not like more people will start using lanes now that they cost money vs. when they were free.

This is how I feel too.

Yesterday I was bored and thinking too much about the HOT lanes and I couldn't help but feel a little testy about it.

Now, I may have my facts wrong; but, these HOV lanes (at least down to Woodbridge) that we've had for YEARS, which were paid for with tax payer money in some form have been taken over by a private company and now I've got to pay to ride them. That just sort of pisses me off.

I understood the HOT lanes project on the beltway. We got 4 new brand spankin' new lanes and it was decided that a private company would front that bill and the roads would be paid for with tolls.

On much of I-95, those lanes were there, have been there, and were paid for over the years. Now, they are no longer free. Up through Dumfries, we are losing the use of 2 lanes of traffic outside regular HOV hours. I can't imagine how this is going to better for anyone but those with lots of money to throw away.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by greekchampion04

If you read my post, I also said that the HOV rules will remain in place, but there will be no tolls (free). Easier to put "free" in the title than that explanation.

Ah but people like to see free and disregard everything else. Look for state police pulling dozens over in the next couple weeks during hov hours. We already see many more solo drivers thinking either the tolls have already started or they have an excuse if they get pulled over.

How many people will mount their EZ pass incorrectly?https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...YGZliFV00cr3IA

[e2ksj3]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

This is how I feel too.

Yesterday I was bored and thinking too much about the HOT lanes and I couldn't help but feel a little testy about it.

Now, I may have my facts wrong; but, these HOV lanes (at least down to Woodbridge) that we've had for YEARS, which were paid for with tax payer money in some form have been taken over by a private company and now I've got to pay to ride them. That just sort of pisses me off.

I understood the HOT lanes project on the beltway. We got 4 new brand spankin' new lanes and it was decided that a private company would front that bill and the roads would be paid for with tolls.

On much of I-95, those lanes were there, have been there, and were paid for over the years. Now, they are no longer free. Up through Dumfries, we are losing the use of 2 lanes of traffic outside regular HOV hours. I can't imagine how this is going to better for anyone but those with lots of money to throw away.

I honestly think sometime in the future when we see the real impact of "taking away" the 2 lanes that there will be a lawsuit. I was reading about the US Dept of Transportation tipping their hats off to HOT lanes projects but only if states were adding to capacity, like the 495 lanes. This is not the case for the 95 lanes other than a nine mile extension & one extra lane in fairfax county.

[patriot201]

I haven't read the articles, AND I rarely take 95 anywhere, so this might be a stupid question, but there will still be regular, free lanes on 95, correct?

It won't be like 66 inside the Beltway, where the entire road is HOV during rush hour, will it?

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by patriot201

I haven't read the articles, AND I rarely take 95 anywhere, so this might be a stupid question, but there will still be regular, free lanes on 95, correct?

It won't be like 66 inside the Beltway, where the entire road is HOV during rush hour, will it?

Regular I95 will remain free. This whole thread is only related to the lanes in the middle separated by Jersey barriers.

[patriot201]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Regular I95 will remain free. This whole thread is only related to the lanes in the middle separated by Jersey barriers.

Thanks! Just wanted to verify. I suppose I COULD read the articles.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by e2ksj3

I honestly think sometime in the future when we see the real impact of "taking away" the 2 lanes that there will be a lawsuit. I was reading about the US Dept of Transportation tipping their hats off to HOT lanes projects but only if states were adding to capacity, like the 495 lanes. This is not the case for the 95 lanes other than a nine mile extension & one extra lane in fairfax county.

But an extra lane IS added capacity. That's why there was no problem with this from a Federal standpoint. If this were ONLY tolling existing lanes, it wouldn't fly. Pennsylvania tried that with I-80 and it was a non-starter.

I don't see what the basis of any lawsuit would be.