Hybrids Stay in I-95 Virginia HOV lanes
They never listen to me. Virginia legislators and the governor have once again extended the provision that allows hybrid vehicles, even with solo drivers, to use the carpool lanes in Northern Virginia. It is now set to expire July 1, 2011. (They’ll extend it again next year.) This supposedly temporary measure dates back to the days when governments wanted to encourage the purchase of hybrid vehicles. If people bought the more efficient cars, they could get a faster trip to and from work by using the HOV lanes. But the need for an incentive to buy hybrids disappeared long ago, along with low gas prices. The pollution coming from three hybrids with solo drivers in the HOV-3 lanes of I-95 can top that of one SUV carrying three people. Plus, the unrestricted use of hybrids contributes to congestion in the HOV lanes and decreases the incentive to carpool. Del. Thomas
Virginia Reopens More Rest Areas
VDOT plans to reopen 19 rest stops that were closed last year because of budget cuts. (The Washington Post) Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will be on hand in Dinwiddie as the commonwealth continues to reopen rest areas closed in 2009. The ribbon cutting on Wednesday will mark the reopening of the Interstate 85 north and south rest stops. They are two of eight set to reopen on Wednesday. Others reopening include the two rest stops at mile marker 48 on I-66 in Manassas; the two at mile marker 232 on I-81 in Mt. Sidney; and the two at mile marker 155 on I-95 in Dale City. The rest areas were among 19 rest stops that were closed last year by then-Gov. Tim Kaine to save the Virginia Department of Transportation $9 million. All the remaining rest stops are scheduled to reopen by April 15. The Virginia Department of Transportation
Fastest way to D.C.?
Need your advice: A new commuter is planning a trip from Frederick to 18th and L NW in downtown Washington. The new commuter has heard this should take about an hour, but can’t believe that. (Neither can I, not during regular commuting times.) The new commuter and I are thinking it would be best to allow two hours, whether the trip is by car all the way, or by transit. Do you think that’s too conservative? What would be the best driving route? After driving down I-270, would you use Connecticut Avenue to reach downtown Washington, or swing farther south and drive along the George Washington Parkway before entering the District via the Key Bridge? On a transit trip, I think I’d drive to Shady Grove and take the Red Line to Farragut North. That would be faster than a MARC train trip from Frederick to Union Station and a
Construction of Delaware I-95 High-Speed E-ZPass Lanes to Begin
Construction of new high-speed E-ZPass lanes at the I-95 Newark toll plaza will begin in mid-April, the Delaware Department of Transportation announced. The $32 million project will extend from the Del. 896 interchange to the Otts Chapel Road bridge …
Gas Prices Climbing Toward $3 a Gallon
After months of relative stability, gasoline prices now appear to be on their way up, with forecasts calling for $3-a-gallon fuel by this summer.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average price of a gallon of regular gas reached $2.78 Friday but leveled off over the weekend. Today’s price — the highest in a year and a half– is 6 cents more than a week ago and are up 13 cents over the past month.
Rising crude oil prices and a recovering economy are propelling the increase, and with the summer travel season approaching, the Oil Price Information Service is projecting that gasoline will hit the $3 mark between April and June.
New Hampshire I-95 Exit 7 To Close For Road Work
PORTSMOUTH — The N.H. Department of Transportation announced construction work has resumed on pavement and bridge deck rehabilitation on a one-mile section of Interstate 95 between the traffic circle and the high-level bridge.
Maryland I-95 Exit 57 Ramps To Be Closed For Inspection
The Maryland Transportation Authority will temporarily close the ramp from northbound Interstate 95 to Boston and O’Donnell streets (Exit 57), as well as the ramp from Interstate Avenue to southbound I-95, at times this weekend for an annual inspection
Detours will be in place during the closings, which will take place Saturday and Sunday from about 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Virginia I-95 HOT Lanes Projects Resuming
A couple of projects along the Capital Beltway in Virginia that were postponed for weeks because of the heavy snows now have new schedules. Of prime interest to thousands of drivers is the program to restore the exit ramps from eastbound Interstate 66 to the inner loop of the Capital Beltway. That already congested area got worse when the ramp pattern was changed to accommodate construction of the High Occupancy Toll lanes along the Beltway. The Virginia Department of Transportation saw the problem where the HOV exit and the regular traffic exit come together, but a first fix didn’t do enough to ease the traffic. The new one, the long-postponed one, will put the ramps back in their original configuration. Weather permitting, the work will begin Tuesday night and should be done by the end of the week. Another project that had to be postponed several times is now slated
New Hampshire I-95 Tollbooths Removed To Make Way For Open Tolling
Courtesy photo Several tollbooths are being removed to make way for New England’s first Open Road Tolling (ORT) facility that will allow motorists with E-ZPass to go through dedicated ORT lanes at highway speeds. HAMPTON — A key construction …
Maryland Rolls Out Travel Time Message Signs
As it deploys 23 electronic message signs on major highways in the state, Maryland is attempting to answer to answer a question that’s been around almost as long as the automobile itself: "How much longer before we get there?"
The State Highway Administration said this week that it has expanded and made permanent its use of variable message signs to keep motorists informed of how long it will take them to reach important interchanges or landmarks in their travels.
For instance, travelers on the southbound Beltway at Park Heights Avenue were informed as Tuesday’s evening rush hour began that it would take them 7-8 minutes to get to Interstate 70 and 12-15 minutes to reach Interstate 95.
Similar messages are now being displayed for travelers in five other locations along the Beltway, eight along I-95, seven on the Capital Beltway and two on Maryland 295.
The rollout of the messages follows a pilot program that began in January along I-95 between Baltimore and Washington that involved three signs in each direction.
State highway spokesman Dave Buck said the agency had received a "very positive" response to that trial. He said the agency intends to further expand the program to other locations such as Interstate 83, Interstate 70 near Frederick, Interstate 270 between there and Washington and Interstate 97 on the way to Annapolis.
Buck acknowledged that the electronic signage isn’t universally appreciated. Some motorists complain that traffic slows as drivers pause to read the messages. Such complaints, he said, have been heard for as long as the signs have been around.
But the more the state uses electronic signs, Buck said, the more people get used to them. He said the predominant feedback has been that "people are getting value out of it."
"State Highway Administrator Neil J. Pedersen said the technology allows the agency to provide real-time information to drivers. "Motorists can in turn make informed decisions about alternate routes of travel plans," he said.
Buck said the travel time messages will be posted most of the time but will be pre-empted for emergency news such as a crash that closes lanes. He said that travel time information would automatically come down from the screens if the estimates reach a level three times normal.
The signs are carefully spaced apart to be most effective, Buck said.
He said the messages cause "maybe a little" slowing but not enough to have a significant impact on traffic flow.
"If you’re going the speed limit, you should be able to read the sign without any problem," he said.
The messages that are on display at the variable message signs around the state can be monitored by viewing the Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) web site at www.traffic.md.gov.
Information for the system is gathered using GPS devices installed in corporate fleet vehicles.