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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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.

Come January 1st, drivers will be paying a quarter more at the main toll plaza of the Dulles Toll Road for a total of $1, then a quarter more each year in 2011 ($1.25) and 2012 ($1.50).

The doubling of the tolls became effective after The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority accepted staff recommendations and voted to increase fees at an MWAA board meeting on Nov. 4th. The money raised from the toll hikes will help pay for the $5.2 billion Dulles Metrorail project that will extend the Orange Line after East Falls Church into Loudoun.

In addition to increases at the main toll plaza, ramp rates will rise from 50 cents to 75 cents in 2010.

Fairfax Landowners Approve Metrorail Tax District

A majority of Fairfax County landowners affected by a proposal to create a special tax district to help fund the 23-mile Metro extension project into Loudoun have approved the plan, local media reported recently.

The nonprofit group Western Alliance for Rail to Dulles, announced in early October that 35 major landowners — who constitute 57 percent of those affected — signed a petition approving the tax.

The new tax district would pay for $330 million in capital funding for the project, according to the Washington Post. If approved by the Herndon Town Council and Fairfax Board of Supervisors, landowners will pay 5 cents per $100 of assessed value next year and then 20 cents in 2013.

HOT Lanes Project Faces More Opposition

Even as Virginia’s plan to create high-occupancy toll lanes along 56 miles of the I-95/I-395 languishes for lack of money, more area governments are signing on to challenge the project.

The Alexandria City Council recently approved a resolution  to “strongly oppose” the HOT lanes from the Petnagon to Massaponax in Spotsylvania County, citing potential noise, traffic and pollution concerns, the Washington Business Journal has reported. WBJ also has reported that although Prince William County has declined to join Arlington County’s lawsuit against the project, the county may file its own suit.

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.

Under the proposal, tolls would increase by 25 cents at the Main Toll Plaza and at the ramps in 2010, and then by another 25 cents at the Main Plaza in the years 2011 and 2012. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees operations of the toll road as part of the Dulles Metrorail extension project, set the hearings at these locations and on these dates:

Monday, Aug. 24: 5-8 p.m.
Ashburn Elementary School
44062 Fincastle Drive, Ashburn

Thursday, Sept. 3: 5-8 p.m.
McLean High School
1633 Davidson Road, McLean

Wednesday, Sept. 9: 5-8 p.m.
South Lakes High School
11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston

According to the MWAA Web site, at the sessions, there will be informational exhibits about the Metrorail Project; the cost and financing of the Metrorail Project; the Dulles Toll Road and potential improvements that may be made to the Toll Road in the future; the revenue anticipated to be raised as a result of the proposed toll increases; and how this additional revenue will be spent.

Those who can’t attend the hearings can find exhibition information at www.mwaa.com/tollroad. The public also may subt comments on the Web site the website once the exhibit information is posted in August.

Dulles Toll Road (VA 267) drivers may be paying double the current rates in three years if a proposal by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is approved.

MWAA took over operations for the toll road in 2008 as part of the $5.25 billion Dulles Metrorail project, which would extend the Orange Line after East Falls Church into Loudoun. Currently, drivers pay 75 cents at the main plaza and 50 cents at the on- and off-ramps. If the MWAA board of directors approves the proposal, tolls would begin rising incrementally in January 2010 up to $1.50 by 2012 at the main plaza and 75 cents at the ramps.

Public hearings on the proposal are expected to take place later this summer, and the final decision is expected in November, according to MWAA’s Web site.

18 Virginia Rest Areas to Close

Virginia drivers will have to make do with fewer interstate rest stops after July 21, when the state will close almost half of its rest areas to help make up for a $2.6 billion shortfall in the transportation budget.

Among the 18 rest stops to close is the one that includes the I-66 West Manassas Welcome Center, but it will remain open through the summer to accommodate summer travelers. The Virginia Department of Transportation will close the I-66 Welcome Center on Sept. 16.

Shutting the stops will save the state about $9 million yearly, according to VDOT.

The Dale City rest area in Prince William County is one of 18
Virginia rest stops that will close July 21.