Transportation Links
Toll, Parking Increases
The arrival of the new year has hit Northern Virginia commuters hard in the pocketbook, with Dulles Toll Road increases taking effect on New Year’s Day and new parking meter changes in downtown DC.
Image courtesy of DDOT
Commuters are now paying $1 at the main toll plaza and 75 cents at on and off ramps – up 25 cents from last year. The increase, approved by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority in November, will help pay for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail extension project to Dulles International Airport.
The following New Year’s Days will bring further increases, as the MWAA board also approved 25-cent increases at the main gate in 2011 and 2012.
In downtown DC, drivers in many areas are now paying $2 per hour at parking meters, up from $1 previously, and they’re required to pay until 10 p.m. and on Saturdays for the first time. The rules apply to the district’s Premium Demand zones, but we like Dcist.com’s advice:
Don’t assume anything about the existing rules when you park at a meter. Always check the signage to make sure you’re in compliance.
For more information on DC parking meter changes, visit the District Department of Transportation.
New Challenge Looms for HOT Lanes
As the I-95/I-395 HOT Lanes project languishes in federal court, Alexandria Delegate David Englin has introduced legislation in the state assembly to require state transportation officials to conduct an environmental study of the project route before the public-private partnership moves forward.
Arlington officials last summer sued state and federal transportation officials over the same issue, saying that the project was moving forward without considering the environmental impacts on surrounding jurisdictions.
The lawsuit is on hold as the parties attempt to negotiate a settlement, according to the Sun Gazette.
According to VDOT, the 56-mile project would expand the existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-95/395 from two to three lanes and extend two new lanes south to Massaponax. All of these lanes will become High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes – meaning buses and carpools with three or more people can continue to use the lanes for free, while non-HOV motorists can choose to pay a toll to access the lanes.
Toll prices will be based on demand. They will change throughout the day according to real-time traffic conditions to manage the number of cars in the HOT lanes and keep them congestion free – even during rush hour.
Transportation Links
New Lane Opens on I-95
Commuters and holiday shoppers on a 3-mile stretch of I-95 from the Occoquan River to the Springfield Interchange have another lane to travel as the first phase of the widening of the interstate has been completed, according to media reports.
The additional lane runs northbound from the Route 1 exit up to the Fairfax County Parkway. According to the state transportation department, 6,000 vehicles per hour travel north on this section of I-95 every morning, WTOP.com has reported.
The next phase of the project, the addition of a fourth lane of traffic on I-95 South from Springfield down to the Occoquan River, is scheduled to be completed fall 2010. The final phase, the addition of a lane to each side of the Occoquan River bridge, is expected to be completed in 2011.
Fairfax County OKs Metro Rail Tax District
Fairfax County supervisors have approved a special tax district that will help pay for the last three Metro stations in the Dulles corridor, WTOP reported recently
Commercial landowners in the area approved the additional real estate tax that is expected to raise $330 million for the project. The extension calls for a new Metrorail line from Falls Church through Tysons Corner, and from Reston and Herndon to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County.
It is the second tax district created to support the Dulles project; the first tax district is helping to fund stations already under construction in Tysons Corner and Reston.
Will Virginia Lawmakers Consider Gas Tax Hike?
As Virginia lawmakers prepare to meet in January for the 2010 General Assembly, speculation is running on the likelihood that raising the gas tax may be on the table.
The state faces a $4 billion budget deficit, requiring transportation agencies to come up with $851.5 million in reductions to administrative, operational, maintenance and construction programs to balance their budgets, according to VDOT.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, a McLean-based organization, said raising the gas tax in Virginia would produce the money for much-needed transportation projects, WTOP.com has reported.
If you would like to contact your legislator to provide your input on the transportation issue, visit the General Assembly’s Web site at http://legis.state.va.us/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.html.
GPS Traffic Study Finds DC Area Congested
GPS maker TomTom recently issued the results a study confirming what we already know: the DC area has some of the worst traffic in the country.
TomTom collected traffic data from anonymous, GPS-enabled drivers over the last year and found that Montgomery County ranks 4th as the most congested area behind Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago. Congestion was defined as traffic moving at only 70 percent or less of the posted speed limit.
Other DC areas in the Top 25: DC ranked 7th, Alexandria 9th, Fairfax 13th and Arlington 21st.