"Surprise" HOT Costs

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   Washington Post had an article on the "unexpected" costs of HOV on the Commonwealth.  Here is the link to the article:

	http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/19/AR2008071901651.html

	As I have stated all along, HOV will not remain free and once the contract is signed, you will begin to hear this from Richmond.  Well, that time has arrived and this article is the first acknowledgement of that by VDOT.  Virginia has agreed to pay 70% of the toll for all HOV when their numbers exceed 24% of all traffic.  VDOT and Barbara Reese estimated that this amount would not exceed $1 million dollars a year.  Now that the contract is signed, VDOT is thinking it will be much higher and therefore a possible drain on the Commonwealth budget.  Therefore, our elected idiots in Richmond will now say they don't have the funding for HOV subsidies and will quickly move to cut them and HOV will end.  VDOT, Homer Pierce, Barbara Reese are either in the back pocket of Transurban Fluor Daniels or they are so grossly  incompetent that they should immediately be fired and possibly investigated.  When will Northern Virginians wake up.

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Cavvie Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Cavvie Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: "Surprise" HOT Costs Posted: 21 Jul 2008 at 9:19am
	Washington Post had an article on the "unexpected" costs of HOV on the Commonwealth. Here is the link to the article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/19/AR2008071901651.html As I have stated all along, HOV will not remain free and once the contract is signed, you will begin to hear this from Richmond. Well, that time has arrived and this article is the first acknowledgement of that by VDOT. Virginia has agreed to pay 70% of the toll for all HOV when their numbers exceed 24% of all traffic. VDOT and Barbara Reese estimated that this amount would not exceed $1 million dollars a year. Now that the contract is signed, VDOT is thinking it will be much higher and therefore a possible drain on the Commonwealth budget. Therefore, our elected idiots in Richmond will now say they don't have the funding for HOV subsidies and will quickly move to cut them and HOV will end. VDOT, Homer Pierce, Barbara Reese are either in the back pocket of Transurban Fluor Daniels or they are so grossly incompetent that they should immediately be fired and possibly investigated. When will Northern Virginians wake up.

CatHerder Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote CatHerder Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2008 at 10:27am
	NOVA doesn't need to wake up. It's the rest of Virginia that needs a little caffine boost. So many people who don't commute into this area have no idea about this deal with the devil and they'll be helping to pay for it. I guess they could do a triple whammy and impose a "special" tax just for NOVA to help pay for the HOT subsidy.

toomuchcoffeelady Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 27 May 2008 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote toomuchcoffeelady Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2008 at 11:09am
	NoVA does so need to wake up - and everyone from Spotsy on north (ie, those of us who provide 90% of the state's income to get about 10% of it back) need to secede from the state. ain't free speech a wonderful thing, until you don't like the views being stated? - Ceejay2

CatHerder Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote CatHerder Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2008 at 11:11am
	and join with eastern West Virginia (another suburb of DC). I hear they are having the same issues with their legislature.

toomuchcoffeelady Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 27 May 2008 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote toomuchcoffeelady Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2008 at 11:56am
	quote: Originally posted by CatHerder and join with eastern West Virginia (another suburb of DC). I hear they are having the same issues with their legislature. If they really are having that problem, then yea, that sounds ilke a good idea. Time for lazy people in low COL areas to stop profiteering off our stress and misery. ain't free speech a wonderful thing, until you don't like the views being stated? - Ceejay2

MDC Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 04 Dec 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote MDC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2008 at 3:07pm
	I knew this was the case with I-495, as the article states. The article does not say whether this applies to I-395/I-95 HOV/HOT lanes where there is an existing HOV system.

n/a Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote n/a Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jul 2008 at 9:07am
	quote: Originally posted by Cavvie Washington Post had an article on the "unexpected" costs of HOV on the Commonwealth. Here is the link to the article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/19/AR2008071901651.html As I have stated all along, HOV will not remain free and once the contract is signed, you will begin to hear this from Richmond. Well, that time has arrived and this article is the first acknowledgement of that by VDOT. Virginia has agreed to pay 70% of the toll for all HOV when their numbers exceed 24% of all traffic. VDOT and Barbara Reese estimated that this amount would not exceed $1 million dollars a year. Now that the contract is signed, VDOT is thinking it will be much higher and therefore a possible drain on the Commonwealth budget. Therefore, our elected idiots in Richmond will now say they don't have the funding for HOV subsidies and will quickly move to cut them and HOV will end. VDOT, Homer Pierce, Barbara Reese are either in the back pocket of Transurban Fluor Daniels or they are so grossly incompetent that they should immediately be fired and possibly investigated. When will Northern Virginians wake up. Yes, the raping of the taxpayer is in full swing! Unfortunately, these nickle and dime charges are only a small part of the millions of taxpayer dollars that have been committed to this road in the construction contract by VDOT. Taxpayers have paid to build and maintain I95/495/395, taxpayers will pay to build HOT lanes on I95/495/395, taxpayers will pay to drive on these roads, and taxpayers will pay to keep the contractors in the green. How many times will taxpayers pay for this boondoggle? Oh, I forgot, taxpayers pay the salaries of VDOT executives who sold us down the river! Barbara Reese, VDOT Comptroller is a pirate!