Transportation Links: Dulles Toll Rates to Rise
Drivers on the Dulles Toll Road will be paying an extra quarter at the main toll plaza come the New Year, the latest in a series of increases established to pay for the 23-mile Metrorail project extending the line from East Falls Church to the Dulles International Airport and beyond.
Effective Jan. 1, drivers of two-axle vehicles will pay $1.50; $1.75 for 3-axle vehicles; and $2 for 4-axle vehicles. Tolls at the ramps remain the same.
In other transportation news, construction on new I-95 HOT lanes could begin as early as spring following a recent agreement between Virginia and a private contractor.
According to the Washington Post, Fluor-Transurban will expand the existing HOV lanes on I-95 in northern Virginia from two to three, and extend the lanes into Stafford County.
More details from the Dec. 6 article published in WashingtonPost.com:
Fluor-Transurban would finance 90 percent of the $940 million project, with the rest of the money coming from the state. The contractor would recoup its investment by collecting the tolls under a deal that allows the contractor to operate the road for the next 73 years. Virginia officials said Fluor-Transurban assumes all of the risk if it cannot recoup its investment through tolls. If the tolls provide an unexpected windfall, the state will share in the extra revenue in a range of anywhere from 5 to 40 percent. …
Carpoolers could use the lanes for free, while solo riders would pay tolls to use the lanes. Toll rates will vary, with higher rates in place during rush hour. … Drivers who opt not to carpool or pay the tolls can use the regular highway lanes. …
In a conference call with reporters, Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said there is no cap on how high the tolls could go. The tolls will be a pure function of market demand, he said; Fluor-Transurban is required under the contract to raise the tolls as high as necessary during peak times to ensure that traffic moves at least 55 mph in the HOT lanes.
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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.
