495 HOT lanes, free for motos - and apparently the DANGER ZONE!

[Slide Panda]

Just heard a report on WTOP. The Hot lanes over by Tysons are expected to open in a week. Initially the reporter said all vehicles would need a ez-pass to use the lanes - but ended up that little segment stating that motos DO NOT need an ez-pass to use the HOT lanes and roll for free.

[Real Recognize Real]

Yep...stated on page 4 of the pdf:

[JoeP]

Say I roll into the hot lanes with my ez pass and have 3 people in my car. How do they know not to charge me? Cameras? Tinted windows? Small or horizontally oriented passengers? What if they are in the trunk?

[Slide Panda]

You need a different ez pass. There's a new kind with a switch on it. One position is for HOV one for toll. Not sure how they enforce proper usage though...

[Autohag]

First-time introduction of carpool lanes on the Capital Beltway to Tysons Corner and connectivity with existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes on Interstate 66, Dulles Toll Road and Interstate 95/395

Sounds like they'll have dedicated "connectors" for HOV travelers. Assumption is the existing HOV lanes are policed well enough to thwart gaming the HOT lanes. So if you have tinted windows or passengers in the trunk, prepare for inspection. Or use lighter tint and stop putting people in your trunk.

[Raux]

ok assuming I'm coming to the CAM area.

what the hell do I need passes for?

[zooom]

ok assuming I'm coming to the CAM area.

what the hell do I need passes for?

REALLY?...COOOL!!!

an EZPass is a little electronic doohickey that accounts for your toll payment on roads that require a fee for travel....the company that issues these is pretty universal up and down the entire east coast for all of the toll roads as far as I can tell.

[Slide Panda]

Yep - the gizmo is an RFID transponder. Wen you register for one, you also have to tie it to a tag number. Some of the area tolls, like the Dulles Toll Road, isn't good at picking up the transponders on bikes at speed. But, if you've got a tag number on file they will just debit your account for the toll. Or at least it's supposed to work that way instead of getting a non payment ticket.

- But there's only a few roads in the area where you *need* one to use. One can get around without.

[xsephirot]

So if i'm on my bike and since I usually carry my ezpass in my backpack,  how will it know not to charge me? I usually keep it on me incase I want to hop on the ICC up in Maryland.

[Meerkat]

That's just what that shiny bag is for...

[Slide Panda]

have some chips in a foil bag and stuff it in there before you go...

[ducatiz]

ok assuming I'm coming to the CAM area.

what the hell do I need passes for?

Toll lanes on the beltway.  High-occupancy express lanes.

[Slide Panda]

So it would seem wise to just steer clear of these as much as possible. Since they opened over the weekend, there's been 5 accidents at the main entry point including a 4 car smasher this morning (monday).

Seems people who aren't aware (nay not paying attention) are in the chute and and eitehr slam on brakes or swerve out of the would be HOT lanes and into other drivers.

So if you do find yourself out that way, watch out for a new road hazard.

[ducatiz]

VDOT screwed the pooch by not making the lanes free for a time so people can get used to them.

They just opened them up and started charging (and fining) for use.

D-U-M-B

[Slide Panda]

Their solution so far is to add some more paint. Great... overnight they extend solid lines and some sort of dash line config to about a mile out from the split.

Watching the news during breakfast, they had a comera on some high ground (truck mast maybe) so the camera could look down at the entrance near springfield. In the pretty short period of the shot I saw about a half dozen cars veer over solid lines just before the bollards started and two near collisions and a resultant traffic accordion start to develop.

VDOT is putting on a demonstration on how to screw the pooch. 'tiz is right that they should have allowed a grace break in period so people aren't panicing and doing dumb shit. There were reports of people backing up... going in reverse on the beltway to avoid a couple bucks in tolls. Sweet jebus that's a good way to get people killed.