Anyone else disgusted with EZPass and Express Lanes - what's your story? (Richmond: contractor, taxes)

[SmartMoney]

I've hit my limit, just wrote my elected officials, certain it will do nothing, I think any candidate that supports building our infrastructure using this method has lost my vote. ExpressLanes issues the transponders and EZPass, a private company, collects their fees from them. And when you try to get to the bottom of a so-called violation, they point fingers at each other like two little kids. And to think I PAY to have to put up with this BS. Most people would not have the time to take up an hour of their life to get to the bottom of a $12 bill. I just hit my limit yesterday and found out, yes, there was $27 in my account to pay a $1.55 toll. Yes, they can see the transponder in my car in the screenshots. They can see where I was traveling the 2 days before and a couple days after.

Grrrrrrr. I'm done. I rather put the money towards taxes to build the roads - can't say expand Metro, talk about another flaming fiasco. Who backed these lanes, what public official do we have to thank?

[ChristineVA]

What the heck happened? I'm curious. Did you get an invalid charge?

[airjay75]

I haven't personally had any problems but I only use them occasionally. I do seem to recall reading a number of news stories recently regarding some of the problems. I don't have links to any news stories, but I know there was recently a class action lawsuit regarding fines that was settled and I also seem to recall a law pending on the state legislature that would require EZ Pass to read your license plate and match it to your account if it doesn't read your transponder for some reason - if I'm recalling that news story correctly, it is sort of absurd that the legislature actually has to pass a law to make Transurban do that.

[Vacanegro]

They do this because no one in VA can agree on how to fund the cost. I thought the contractor got them operational very quickly but of course the cost is ridiculous. I traveled to Atlanta for Easter and I was able to use my EZpass in the Peachpass lanes there. Going into the Lexus lanes for 5 miles cost me something like 80 cents - YES 80 cents, meanwhile if I opt to use the express lanes from Tysons to 95 south during off hours it is typically over $5 and the roads are much worse (bad traffic and poor road capacity) compared to Atlanta. Soon we get a toll road on 66 inside the beltway and probably more Expresslanes on 66.

Why can GA do it and VA cannot ?

[LuvVA]

What really happened? I have been using EzPass past 11-12 years, on a daily basis, never had an issue.

[dkf747]

I used the lanes for the first time recently. It sure was very nice! I didn't like the expensive toll, but that's it. I'll let you know the next time I use themin like 3 or 4 years.

[tgbwc]

We bought the pass this fall and use it maybe once every month or two, so not much experience with it on our end.

We were coming back from Richmond on a Friday and saw the HOT lanes (traffic headed southbound around 4:30) backed up to right around the Marine Corps Museum. I was surprised. I wouldn't want to pay for that.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by dkf747

I used the lanes for the first time recently. It sure was very nice! I didn't like the expensive toll, but that's it. I'll let you know the next time I use themin like 3 or 4 years.

You used to get one freebie per year. Freebie in a charge that was way outside the usual times. I was taking daily HOV trips and saw that I was charged for a trip around9pm. Never go into DC on weeknights at9. Called and they removed that single charge. Maybe things have changed.

[spencgr]

My only issue is not completely understanding the rates on the HOT lanes on 495. I was coming from Alexandria on a Saturday afternoon and approached the entry to the HOT lanes. It said it would cost something like $7 to go to 66 in the HOT lanes (on a random Sat afternoon). So, I assumed there was an accident or something causing a lot of traffic up ahead, thus making the HOT lanes more expensive. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

So, I jump into the HOT lanes and drove on. I kept waiting to see the traffic in the regular lanes. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Nothing.

I feel like they played me.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by spencgr

My only issue is not completely understanding the rates on the HOT lanes on 495. I was coming from Alexandria on a Saturday afternoon and approached the entry to the HOT lanes. It said it would cost something like $7 to go to 66 in the HOT lanes (on a random Sat afternoon). So, I assumed there was an accident or something causing a lot of traffic up ahead, thus making the HOT lanes more expensive. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

So, I jump into the HOT lanes and drove on. I kept waiting to see the traffic in the regular lanes. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Nothing.

I feel like they played me.

That is sort of how they work but then other factors come into play and, I think even when traffic is light, they often use historical records and sometimes set costs for certain times of day. So there's not just one factor. I've tried to solve the puzzle as I use them almost everyday but most days I can't figure out the pricing.