Featured Va.'s HOT tolls hit $40 (Hybrids ousted)

A $40 Toll to Drive 10 Miles? It Happened on Virginia’s I-66 - The New York Times

Perhaps you're hearing Virginia in the national news (not in a good way), as we have completed another phase of our HOT lanes conversion. Now it is I-66 (East/West route) to growth areas such as Manassas and beyond. Only a small section of I-66 has been completed so far, inside the I495 Beltway, but of course this puts a big kibosh on all the SOV folks coming in on long commutes from the popular ex-burbs.

Until now, buying a Prius or plug-in was popular out there, because you had free HOV access. The I-66 HOV "clean fuels" license plate sales ended 2011, but you were "grandfathered" if you had the plates, and many did (not me). Besides hybrids, the other cohort of drivers screwed were those commuting before 6:30AM, as the HOV window was expanded to 5:30AM.

Still the final shoe to drop is in 2022 when I-66 HOT lanes are completed out West past Manassas.

I expect somewhat less Prius/hybrid sales in Va. However, that state-by-state car sales data is not published, so it'll be anybody's guess...you have my guess.

 

We live near where you were in NoVA.
Fortunately we lived close to our work places so we did not have the commute.
Yes there is some resistance to building lanes here, at some point it becomes too late.

 

The political critters would tend to live in Arlington. Arlington is close to DC with Metro access, and also Arlington is one major source of the I-66 traffic bottleneck as Arlington has blocked lane expansions in their town. I am not sure how the politicos would get to work, but I suspect they have options (Metro eg) also Route 50. But Route 50 is stuffed now too due to the chnage, so maybe they are stuck not sure.

 

We used to call our Va. HOT lanes "the Lexus lanes" now we are calling them "the Lamborghini" lanes

 

Interesting thought...I am not aware of anybody getting free passes other than motorcycles.
But definitely the HOT lanes are helpful to the legislators, allowing them through passage to Richmond by-passing some of the traffic.
Not sure about DC.

Of course some companies reimburse employee use. In fact I recently decided to reimburse our community band members so they can get to weeknight concert. I suppose legislators can deduct their transport expenses so in that sense they would be covered.

 

High I-66 Tolls Motivate Man To Start Carpooling Effort | Burke, VA Patch

As some of you know, we have a very successful car pooling in Va. system called "slugging". The problem is slugging is ad hoc volunteer effort, and never developed much beyond I95 corridor (North/South). Now maybe it gets going on I-66.

Historical note- Va.not Ca. was actually the first state to give hybrids free HOV. With our I95 traffic, that sold a lot of Prii out here, but it was resented and by 2006 they started cutting back on that program on I95, and then in 2011 cut back on I66 HOV plates.

 

I will try to ask if legislators pay or get reimbursed