HOT Lanes Deal Reached

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   The Washington Post and other reported this yesterday. Here is the link to the post: 

	http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-officials-reach-tentative-deal-for-i-95-hot-lanes/2011/12/06/gIQAbq14aO_print.html

	Va. officials reach tentative deal for I-95 HOT lanes

	By Ashley Halsey III, Published: December 6

	Virginia officials have reached a tentative deal with a private construction firm to build high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95, hoping to ease congestion on one of the regions worst bottlenecks, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Tuesday.

	The agreement for $940 million is with Fluor-Transurban, the global company that is building a set of toll lanes on the Capital Beltway in Virginia.

	The project will bring congestion relief and new travel choices to Northern Virginians, said McDonnell (R). It will also provide an economic boost by supporting nearly 8,000 jobs over the construction period and stimulating $2 billion in economic activity.

	The 29-mile project will stretch between Edsall Road in Fairfax County and Garrisonville Road in Stafford County. Fourteen miles of existing high-occupancy lanes from Edsall Road to Prince William Parkway will be expanded from two to three lanes.

	As is the case with most HOT lanes, most existing lanes will remain toll-free. Vehicles carrying three or more people will be allowed to use the HOT lanes without charge. Others can pay to access them, but tolls will change according to traffic levels.

	Under the tentative agreement, Fluor-Transurban is expected to pay $843 million and the state would contribute $97 million. Construction could begin next spring, state officials said.

	With HOT lanes on both the Beltway and I-95, we will create a region-wide network of managed lanes that will enable travelers to get to and from some of Virginias most important employment centers and military sites, said state Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton.

	Virginia also plans to invest $200 million to expand bus service in Spotsylvania, Stafford, Prince William and Fairfax counties, and add more than 3,000 spaces in park-and-ride lots.

	Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Greg Whirley said the lanes will ease the bottleneck on I-95 near Dumfries.

	VDOT expects carpools and other travelers who use the existing HOV lanes will see faster and more reliable commuting times when HOT lanes are introduced, Whirley said.

	Although ambitious, the proposal was scaled back after Arlington County filed a lawsuit to block plans that would have extended HOT lanes inside the Beltway on I-395 to the 14th Street bridge over the Potomac.

	Those heavily trafficked final miles approaching the District would have provided a cash bonanza for Transurban. The three HOT lanes, and bridges to accommodate them, from the Beltway south to Stafford would require a massive construction project. Those less heavily traveled miles of I-95 will provide less toll revenue than would have the roadway inside the Beltway.

	The remainder of the project also has been met with some opposition. Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, criticized a recent environmental assessment of the project as being completely inadequate.

	We believe that the HOT lanes could have a negative impact on slugging and carpooling and that they may undermine goals to reduce traffic related to the BRAC moves, he said.

	Schwartz said the state should also consider investing in transit, such as buses and Virginia Railway Express, and keeping the toll revenue in public hands for reinvestment in the corridor.

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Admin Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Admin Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: HOT Lanes Deal Reached Posted: 07 Dec 2011 at 6:11am
	The Washington Post and other reported this yesterday. Here is the link to the post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-officials-reach-tentative-deal-for-i-95-hot-lanes/2011/12/06/gIQAbq14aO_print.html Va. officials reach tentative deal for I-95 HOT lanes By Ashley Halsey III, Published: December 6 Virginia officials have reached a tentative deal with a private construction firm to build high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95, hoping to ease congestion on one of the regions worst bottlenecks, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Tuesday. The agreement for $940 million is with Fluor-Transurban, the global company that is building a set of toll lanes on the Capital Beltway in Virginia. The project will bring congestion relief and new travel choices to Northern Virginians, said McDonnell (R). It will also provide an economic boost by supporting nearly 8,000 jobs over the construction period and stimulating $2 billion in economic activity. The 29-mile project will stretch between Edsall Road in Fairfax County and Garrisonville Road in Stafford County. Fourteen miles of existing high-occupancy lanes from Edsall Road to Prince William Parkway will be expanded from two to three lanes. As is the case with most HOT lanes, most existing lanes will remain toll-free. Vehicles carrying three or more people will be allowed to use the HOT lanes without charge. Others can pay to access them, but tolls will change according to traffic levels. Under the tentative agreement, Fluor-Transurban is expected to pay $843 million and the state would contribute $97 million. Construction could begin next spring, state officials said. With HOT lanes on both the Beltway and I-95, we will create a region-wide network of managed lanes that will enable travelers to get to and from some of Virginias most important employment centers and military sites, said state Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton. Virginia also plans to invest $200 million to expand bus service in Spotsylvania, Stafford, Prince William and Fairfax counties, and add more than 3,000 spaces in park-and-ride lots. Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Greg Whirley said the lanes will ease the bottleneck on I-95 near Dumfries. VDOT expects carpools and other travelers who use the existing HOV lanes will see faster and more reliable commuting times when HOT lanes are introduced, Whirley said. Although ambitious, the proposal was scaled back after Arlington County filed a lawsuit to block plans that would have extended HOT lanes inside the Beltway on I-395 to the 14th Street bridge over the Potomac. Those heavily trafficked final miles approaching the District would have provided a cash bonanza for Transurban. The three HOT lanes, and bridges to accommodate them, from the Beltway south to Stafford would require a massive construction project. Those less heavily traveled miles of I-95 will provide less toll revenue than would have the roadway inside the Beltway. The remainder of the project also has been met with some opposition. Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, criticized a recent environmental assessment of the project as being completely inadequate. We believe that the HOT lanes could have a negative impact on slugging and carpooling and that they may undermine goals to reduce traffic related to the BRAC moves, he said. Schwartz said the state should also consider investing in transit, such as buses and Virginia Railway Express, and keeping the toll revenue in public hands for reinvestment in the corridor.

Flyby Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Flyby Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 7:47am
	Stewart Schwartz' only error was saying "...HOT lanes could have a negative impact on slugging and carpooling" instead of "HOT lanes WILL have a negative impact on slugging and carpooling."will." Say what you mean - and what we all know. Flyby

mycroftt Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 11 Feb 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote mycroftt Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 9:08am
	The rubes in Richmond got slickered big time. Not only did the taxpayers already pay 100% of the costs of building the northernmost 21 miles of the HOT but our pockets are getting picked for 10% of the cost of building the final 8 miles or so, too. So the foreign corporation only has to pay around 25% of the cost of building the entire road and they get to take it over for the rest of the lives of those of us who paid for 75% of it. Brilliant!

scottt Members Profile Find Members Posts Senior Slug Joined: 12 May 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 106	Post Options Post Reply Quote scottt Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 12:45pm
	To quote Francis X. Cross from "Scrooged" "Oh my gosh, does that suck."

old_timer Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 11 Feb 2011 Location: Va Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote old_timer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 Aug 2012 at 11:02am
	Not only are the comments above correct, but just think of what the lanes will be like for the next couple of years while the construction is going on!

msniac2 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote msniac2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Aug 2012 at 2:27pm
	I may be very late with this but do we know how much these hot lanes are going to cost per trip yet? quote: Originally posted by Admin The Washington Post and other reported this yesterday. Here is the link to the post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-officials-reach-tentative-deal-for-i-95-hot-lanes/2011/12/06/gIQAbq14aO_print.html Va. officials reach tentative deal for I-95 HOT lanes By Ashley Halsey III, Published: December 6 Virginia officials have reached a tentative deal with a private construction firm to build high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95, hoping to ease congestion on one of the regions worst bottlenecks, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Tuesday. The agreement for $940 million is with Fluor-Transurban, the global company that is building a set of toll lanes on the Capital Beltway in Virginia. The project will bring congestion relief and new travel choices to Northern Virginians, said McDonnell (R). It will also provide an economic boost by supporting nearly 8,000 jobs over the construction period and stimulating $2 billion in economic activity. The 29-mile project will stretch between Edsall Road in Fairfax County and Garrisonville Road in Stafford County. Fourteen miles of existing high-occupancy lanes from Edsall Road to Prince William Parkway will be expanded from two to three lanes. As is the case with most HOT lanes, most existing lanes will remain toll-free. Vehicles carrying three or more people will be allowed to use the HOT lanes without charge. Others can pay to access them, but tolls will change according to traffic levels. Under the tentative agreement, Fluor-Transurban is expected to pay $843 million and the state would contribute $97 million. Construction could begin next spring, state officials said. With HOT lanes on both the Beltway and I-95, we will create a region-wide network of managed lanes that will enable travelers to get to and from some of Virginias most important employment centers and military sites, said state Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton. Virginia also plans to invest $200 million to expand bus service in Spotsylvania, Stafford, Prince William and Fairfax counties, and add more than 3,000 spaces in park-and-ride lots. Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Greg Whirley said the lanes will ease the bottleneck on I-95 near Dumfries. VDOT expects carpools and other travelers who use the existing HOV lanes will see faster and more reliable commuting times when HOT lanes are introduced, Whirley said. Although ambitious, the proposal was scaled back after Arlington County filed a lawsuit to block plans that would have extended HOT lanes inside the Beltway on I-395 to the 14th Street bridge over the Potomac. Those heavily trafficked final miles approaching the District would have provided a cash bonanza for Transurban. The three HOT lanes, and bridges to accommodate them, from the Beltway south to Stafford would require a massive construction project. Those less heavily traveled miles of I-95 will provide less toll revenue than would have the roadway inside the Beltway. The remainder of the project also has been met with some opposition. Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, criticized a recent environmental assessment of the project as being completely inadequate. We believe that the HOT lanes could have a negative impact on slugging and carpooling and that they may undermine goals to reduce traffic related to the BRAC moves, he said. Schwartz said the state should also consider investing in transit, such as buses and Virginia Railway Express, and keeping the toll revenue in public hands for reinvestment in the corridor.

abdd8pd Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 22 Dec 2009 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote abdd8pd Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 Aug 2012 at 2:51pm
	In the HOV meeting in Stafford, Fluor-Transurban discussed peak of the peak fares in the range of $1.05-$1.10 a mile for single drivers.

old_timer Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 11 Feb 2011 Location: Va Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote old_timer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Aug 2012 at 7:59am
	There is a comment above that the proposed toll at peak time would be "$1.05-$1.10 a mile for single drivers". Its about 45 miles from Stafford to Edsall Rd. That would be about $47.25!! one way.[:0]

ETC Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote ETC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Aug 2012 at 8:46am
	Thus the name "Lexus Lanes"

abdd8pd Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 22 Dec 2009 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote abdd8pd Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Aug 2012 at 10:49am
	From http://virginiahotlanes.com/i95/project-info/faq.php What will the toll be on HOT Lanes? Tolls on the region-wide HOT Lanes network will vary based on real-time traffic conditions to manage the number of toll-paying customers who choose to enter the HOT Lanes. Most customers are expected to pay to use the HOT Lanes only a couple of times a week when they need a faster trip, with a typical trip during rush hour costing between $5 and $6. HOV-3+, vanpools, motorcycles and buses travel free. It is not possible for us to predict exactly what the tolls will be at any given time. We expect they will range from as low as 10 cents per mile during less busy times, to approximately a dollar per mile in some sections during rush hour. The average trip cost is estimated to be between $5 and $7. HOV-3+, vanpools, motorcycles and buses travel free. Will all travelers be able to use the HOV/HOT Lanes outside rush hour and on weekends? Unlike the existing HOV Lanes, the new HOV/HOT Lanes will be in effect at all times and on weekends. High occupancy vehicles (HOV-3+), motorcycles and transit will have free access at all times; drivers with fewer than three occupants can choose to pay a variable toll to use the Lanes on occasions when they need to get somewhere on time. There is also discussion that HOV3 is not guaranteed to remain free in the contract ... in many HOT places; HOV now pays a 'reduced' fare.