Drivers on the Dulles Toll Road could see rates jump from the current $2 now for a full trip to $5.50 by 2015 and $10.75 by 2020 to pay for the extension of the Metro rail into Dulles.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority officials had always planned for regular rate increases, and projections for those increases are climbing as the costs of the Dulles rail project rise, according to WTOP.

In addition, financial advisors recently urged MWAA officials to consider other options such as charging tolls on the currently free Dulles Access Road, instituting peak hour fares and creating a distance-based toll system.

According to WTOP:

With the recent decision to build an underground Metro station at Dulles Airport, the expected cost for Phase II of the project (which will run from Reston, to the Airport and into Loudoun County) is about $3.5 billion. If the Authority were to have chosen the much-debated (and less expensive) aerial option, the overall cost would go down to $3.2 billion.

Ultimately, the decision to go underground at the Airport could lead to a .50 cent difference in tolls on the toll road according to a report given to the board.

The board has agreed to study a new transportation plan over the next six months. A better estimate for toll increases is expected after that time.

In other transportation news,

• VDOT is reminding  drivers to slow down and watch for crews mowing grass, pruning trees, cutting brush and removing litter along roads throughout the commonwealth. Signs are posted to indicate that work is under way as 58,000 miles of roadsides get their first spring manicure. Motorists are asked to watch for slow-moving mowing operations and to slow their speed, stay alert, and move into the opposite lane where possible when approaching the work zone.
• Business owners, commuters and the general public have until May 27 to offer feedback on Gov. Bob McDonnell’s transportation program that calls for $3 billion in new transportation funds. For details on the plan, click here. You can email comments to drptpr@drpt.virginia.gov.  Written comments can be submitted to: Public Information Office, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, 600 E. Main St., Suite 2102, Richmond, VA 23219.

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.

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.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will hold its final public meeting on proposed toll rate increases on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at South Lakes High School in Reston.

The meeting takes place 5-8 p.m. and will include exhibits on the scope, cost and financing of the Dulles Rail extension; potential future Toll Road improvements; revenue anticipated to be raised from the toll increases and how it will be spent.

While there will be no opportunity to speak publicly (there will be no microphone), attendees can fill out a comment sheet or talk to a court reporter. You also can file your comments online through Sept. 14 at http://www.mwaa.com/tollroad/tolls_fees/toll_process/tollcomments.

The proposal calls for raising the the rate at the Main Toll Plaza from $.75 to $1.00 in January 2010, to $1.25 in 2011 and to $1.50 in 2012. Ramp rates will be increased from $.50 to $.75 in 2010, and remain at $.75 through 2012.

I-95/I-395 HOT Lanes On Hold

Rendering of proposed HOT lanes

Faced with an Arlington County lawsuit and the economic downturn, Virginia officials havea postponed a project to create high occupancy toll lanes on Interstates 95 and 395.

The project would expand existing HOV lanes from two to three lanes on the interstates, and extend two new lanes south to Massaponax. All the lanes would become HOT lanes, which would allow buses and carpools with three or more people free access but require other drivers to pay a toll that would vary according to traffic conditions.

Though the project’s total cost has not yet been determined, Virginia officials have determined that the state wouldn’t be able to borrow enough money to fund the project, according to a Washington Business Journal report.

The project also has faced opposition from affected jurisdictions, including Arlington County, which is suing over concerns about air pollution from the increased traffic, according to the Washington Post.

Dulles Rail Project Receives Stimulus Funds

Tysons West Metro Station rendering

The Dulles corridor Metrorail project is receiving $77.2 million in stimulus funds, which will be used to speed up the construction timeline and decrease finance costs, according to media reports.

The funds are part of $6.7 billion that will be used to improve transportation throughout the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The $5.25 billion Dulles Metrorail project is extending the Orange Line after East Falls Church into Loudoun. Currently, construction has begun to prepare for the Tysons East Metrorail Station at the southwest corner of Route 23, and several major traffic routes on Route 7 are being altered.

For the latest updates on project construction, visit www.dullesmetro.com.

The plan, which contributed to countless political debates, public discussions and federal oversight, is as “good as dead” according to the Washington Post. The Federal Transit Administration has decided not to fund its share of the project (about a fifth of the funding), which leaves the state with no choice but to abandon the work.

A barrage of over thirty articles, blogs and videos from the Washington Post surfaced this past week to give us a better view of what is being said now, and what is going to be done. It’s interesting to see how the news has progressed, although I wish the outcome was more positive.