Paul F Nichols: HOT Lanes: A Bad Idea for Prince William
HOT Lanes: A Bad Idea for Prince William
Everyday our highways are absolutely packed with anxious drivers trying to get to and from work. The massive amount of traffic that must be moved during the morning and evening 4 hour rush period is staggering. But, drivers and commuters all along the I-95/I-395 corridor have dealt with this issue for 30 years by establishing a non-governmental solution: “the slug lines.” A unique phenomenon, slugging is now under attack by a well healed Australian company, Transurban, and our own Virginia Department of Transportation, with the proposed High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-95 and I-395.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban are hastily moving forward with a proposed agreement that may be devastating to the I-95/I395 corridor. Under this short-sighted and poorly thought out plan, the Commonwealth of Virginia would turn over the taxpayer funded HOV lanes on the corridor to Transurban for 80 years. In Phase 1 Transurban is proposing to convert one of the shoulders of the HOV lanes into an additional lane that would be used by HOV and HOT commuters. According to recent studies there will likely be an immediate fall off of 20% cars available to “slugs” because commuters currently picking up slugs will pay to use the HOT lanes rather than pick up slugs. Further, the ill-conceived agreement being proffered by Transurban indicates that the speed on the HOT/HOV will not go below 45 miles per hour, ensuring that 45 mph will become the norm for the entire distance from Dumfries to the 14th Street Bridge>-- Through the perverse nature of the “deal” with the state, Transurban only makes money if the HOT/HOV lanes are full. As congestion increases and traffic slows to 45 or below the tolls increase from 10 cents/mile to as much as $1.00/mile with the average toll during the rush period being $5.00 and Transurban makes more money as the traffic slows due to the tolls’ increasing -.
Transurban touts increased vigilance and reduced violators on the HOT/HOV lanes by using futuristic infrared sensors to determine how many passengers are in a car and which cars are HOV and which are HOT. Transurban freely admits that the reliability of its infrared enforcement is about 50%, so it’s correct half the time, with as many false readings as correct readings. The current HOV enforcement results in about an 18% violation rate.
Further, Transurban brags about the success of HOT lanes in other jurisdictions but in no place other than Northern Virginia does a “slug line” exist. Additionally if the proposed HOV lane conversion fails there is absolutely no contingency plan, the Commonwealth will have turned over a taxpayer funded road system to a private company for 80 years with no contingency for failure. VDOT hopes this “public-private partnership” works. The conversion may have such a devastating on our daily commute that we can not rely on unproven technology and an unproven solution based on the “hopes” of VDOT.
Northern Virginia is the only place in the entire country with a slug system. It is the only place in the whole country where people get together with strangers to save gas and time. It is a sacred institution of our district and if we let HOT lanes be put in place, we threaten to end slugging completely.
I have introduced a bill, HB 135 that would prohibit HOT lanes on I-395 from the Potomac River to the Springfield Interchange and from the Springfield Interchange south on I-95. This bill faces a massive lobbying effort opposing it from both the Virginia Department of Transportation as well as their $6.2 billion partners in this unwelcome plan, Transurban.
Let’s be responsible with our transit. Let’s not tie our hands behind our backs for nearly a century on a whim that this will work. We need to preserve our slug system and keep HOT lanes off our roads. We all paid the taxes to make the HOV lanes. We all paid for the highway. Don’t let VDOT take our highways away from us.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban are hastily moving forward with a proposed agreement that may be devastating to the I-95/I395 corridor. Under this short-sighted and poorly thought out plan, the Commonwealth of Virginia would turn over the taxpayer funded HOV lanes on the corridor to Transurban for 80 years. In Phase 1 Transurban is proposing to convert one of the shoulders of the HOV lanes into an additional lane that would be used by HOV and HOT commuters. According to recent studies there will likely be an immediate fall off of 20% cars available to “slugs” because commuters currently picking up slugs will pay to use the HOT lanes rather than pick up slugs. Further, the ill-conceived agreement being proffered by Transurban indicates that the speed on the HOT/HOV will not go below 45 miles per hour, ensuring that 45 mph will become the norm for the entire distance from Dumfries to the 14th Street Bridge>-- Through the perverse nature of the “deal” with the state, Transurban only makes money if the HOT/HOV lanes are full. As congestion increases and traffic slows to 45 or below the tolls increase from 10 cents/mile to as much as $1.00/mile with the average toll during the rush period being $5.00 and Transurban makes more money as the traffic slows due to the tolls’ increasing -.
Transurban touts increased vigilance and reduced violators on the HOT/HOV lanes by using futuristic infrared sensors to determine how many passengers are in a car and which cars are HOV and which are HOT. Transurban freely admits that the reliability of its infrared enforcement is about 50%, so it’s correct half the time, with as many false readings as correct readings. The current HOV enforcement results in about an 18% violation rate.
Further, Transurban brags about the success of HOT lanes in other jurisdictions but in no place other than Northern Virginia does a “slug line” exist. Additionally if the proposed HOV lane conversion fails there is absolutely no contingency plan, the Commonwealth will have turned over a taxpayer funded road system to a private company for 80 years with no contingency for failure. VDOT hopes this “public-private partnership” works. The conversion may have such a devastating on our daily commute that we can not rely on unproven technology and an unproven solution based on the “hopes” of VDOT.
Northern Virginia is the only place in the entire country with a slug system. It is the only place in the whole country where people get together with strangers to save gas and time. It is a sacred institution of our district and if we let HOT lanes be put in place, we threaten to end slugging completely.
I have introduced a bill, HB 135 that would prohibit HOT lanes on I-395 from the Potomac River to the Springfield Interchange and from the Springfield Interchange south on I-95. This bill faces a massive lobbying effort opposing it from both the Virginia Department of Transportation as well as their $6.2 billion partners in this unwelcome plan, Transurban.
Let’s be responsible with our transit. Let’s not tie our hands behind our backs for nearly a century on a whim that this will work. We need to preserve our slug system and keep HOT lanes off our roads. We all paid the taxes to make the HOV lanes. We all paid for the highway. Don’t let VDOT take our highways away from us.