Two things motorists detest: tolls and congestion. Tolls, if effectively applied, lessen congestion, but at a high cost to drivers. However, steep tolls also provide a political incentive to "fix the bottlenecks," as shown by the 66 Express Lanes.
Another lesson from what may be America's best example of roadway congestion pricing, where tolls topping $40 (one-way) do occur on occasion, particularly when the subway breaks down.
Max Smith, WTOP’s Northern Virginia transportation reporter, writes that construction has begun to add an additional lane "to ease a chokepoint that helps drive up toll prices on Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway...Those frequent traffic jams are a significant driver of the morning toll prices for solo drivers using the highway."
Unlike all other high occupancy tolls (HOT) lanes adjacent to general purpose (unpriced) lanes in the United States, all lanes on the 66 Express Lanes become HOT lanes during the peak hours in the peak direction, so motorists can't escape the congestion, nor the toll unless they carpool ride a motorcycle.
The operator of the 66 Express Lanes, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), may also be more politically sensitive to criticism than private operators, such as Transurban, an Australian company which built and operates the 495 and 95 Express Lanes in Virginia. VDOT has been attempting to reduce the tolls, without capping or refunding them, as some legislators demand, by tweaking the toll pricing algorithm.
Average tolls on 66 Express Lanes
While those $40+ tolls make headlines, they are not the norm. Smith reported on Aug. 20 that "[f]rom the time tolling began Dec. 4 through the end of June, the overall average paid by each toll payer each morning is now $8.39, with the average in the afternoon now at $5.21."
Tolls are higher in the morning than the afternoon largely due to the chokepoint at the Dulles Connector Road, where traffic can frequently slow...
Which brings us back to where we started, as this is the stretch that's being widened.
Smith also reported that the violation rate, i.e., motorists who don't have transponders (E-ZPass) and face penalties on top of tolls, is 13.5 percent.
While the 66 Express Lanes are unique due to the all-HOT Lane design, they are similar to other HOT lanes in that a large percentage of users are not paying tolls because these are, after all, carpool lanes. Unlike other HOT lanes, there is no toll-exemption for electric vehicles.
Overall, more vehicles paid to use the road in June with a regular E-ZPass or an E-ZPass Flex in toll paying mode (44.2 percent) than rode free with an E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode to indicate the driver had at least one other person with them in the car (42.3 percent).
Related 66 Express Lanes posts:
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Capitalism at Work on an Interstate Highway, June 12, 2018
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Popularity of Express Lanes Spreads Beyond Virginia, April 3, 2018
Hat tip to IBTTA Smart Brief.
FULL STORY: I-66 widening work on choke point that drives up tolls begins
As Tolls Increase, Vehicle Trips Decrease on Dynamically Priced Express Lanes
When tolls rise on the 66 Express Lanes, trips decrease. according to a new report by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
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.
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