Widening of Interstate 66 for 22.5 miles in Northern Virginia will accommodate two toll lanes in each direction, accessible to trucks. The $3.7 billion project, to be built by public-private partnership at no cost to the state, will open in 2022.
"The first major construction work on Interstate 66 toll lanes between the Capital Beltway [I-495] and Gainesville, Virginia, is set to begin as soon as this weekend, kicking off four years of construction lane shifts, closures and delays," reports Max Smith for WTOP News.
The two toll lanes in each direction, similar to the I-495 Express Lanes, are due to open by the end of 2022. Drivers will be able to ride free with a total of three or more people in the car and an E-ZPass Flex in HOV mode; motorcycles and buses will ride free, too. Other cars and trucks will pay a toll that rises and falls based on the amount of traffic in the lanes.
Yes, trucks will have access to the congestion-priced toll lanes, though they "will be required to pay at least three times the toll other drivers are paying at a given time," reported Smith on Dec. 8, 2016. The toll will increase with the level of congestion in order to maintain travel speeds.
That provision allowed the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to secure a higher payment for corridor improvements from the largely European consortium, I-66 Express Mobility Partners, consisting of Madrid-based, Cintra, Paris-based Meridiam, Madrid-based Ferrovial and Pennsylvania-based Allan Myers. The unsuccessful bidder was Express Partners, formed by Australian-based Transurban and Stockholm-based Skanska.
Improvements for the corridor included in the project, known formally as Transform 66 Outside the Beltway, include:
- New and improved bus service and transit routes
- New and expanded park and ride lots providing convenient access to the Express Lanes and more than 4,000 new park and ride spaces
- Interchange improvements to enhance safety and reduce congestion, including auxiliary lanes between interchanges, where needed
- 11 miles of new bike and pedestrian trails, including shared-use trails along I-66 that integrate with local trails, and new crossings of I-66 to improve and expand bicycle and pedestrian routes
[For more information on the bike trails, and an alternative suggested by the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, see Planetizen: "Critiquing the Proposal to Locate a Bike Lane on an Interstate," June 2017.]
I-66 Inside the Beltway
When the new I-66 express lanes outside the Beltway open in 2022, the 66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway, which currently require only a minimum of two occupants to qualify for free carpool access, will increase to three. Those lanes opened to great notoriety last December due to $40 plus tolls.
On March 29, Smith reported on the performance of the new dynamically-priced lanes.
Only a few drivers — 989, about 0.25 percent of toll payers — paid $40 or more in February for a single trip.
Tolls have reached $46.75 at the busiest times of morning rush hours. The morning rush tolls are higher in part because of the merge at the Dulles Connector Road.
The 10 miles of 66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway were built by VDOT using "self-financing," meaning it is based on expected toll revenue, reported Robert Thomson for The Washington Post on Dec. 9, 2015. A compromise required to overcome political challenges allowed the addition of one new lane, which cost the state $140 million. Initially, the project had been based on the conversion of two High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV or carpool) lanes, one in each direction, to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes.
Hat tip IBTTA Smart Brief.
FULL STORY: 4 years of major I-66 construction to begin as soon as this weekend
Popularity of Express Lanes Spreads Beyond Virginia
Dan Vock of Governing takes a broad look at congestion pricing, beginning with the success of Virginia's 66 Express Lanes, the ones where tolls initially topped $40. Notwithstanding complaints, managed lanes are spreading, but challenges remain.
Capitalism at Work on an Interstate Highway
Traffic speeds during the peak eastbound commute on the 66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway have dropped to 35 mph. "Toll-tweaking" and changing the algorithm are achieving limited success on this dynamically-tolled stretch.
Express Lanes Toll Revenue Benefits Bus Riders, Carpoolers, and Bike Riders
The new 66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway made headlines when one-way tolls topped $40. Max Smith of WTOP News reports how revenues are used in Northern Virginia. Bus transit and shuttles to park-and-ride lots are two of the biggest beneficiaries.
New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities
A new analysis by Climate Central evaluates the intensity of urban heat islands in cities around the United States—New Orleans tops the list.
The Most Complete Map of U.S. Pedestrian Risk Yet
New research published by the Journal of Transport and Land Use analyzes tens of thousands of pedestrian fatalities over 16 years in the United States.
The Freeway Removal Cause Gains Momentum—But Don't Forget Gentrification and Displacement
The case for freeway in urban areas isn't as unequivocal as it might seem. Plans to undo the damage of the legacies of past freeway planning need to ensure an inclusive future.
Ascent Environmental
Ascent Environmental
Brailsford & Dunlavey
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard University Graduate School of Design - Executive Education
City of Greensburg
City of Flagstaff
Zhongshan Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
