Starting from
December 2014 the new rules issued by the Virginia Department of Transportation
(VDoT) will go into effect on the improved I-95 HOT Lanes (aka Express Lanes) between
Route 610 in Stafford County and Edsall Road in Fairfax County. The new rules
state that all commuter vehicles (except motor cycles) will require an EZ Pass
or E-Z Pass Flex in order to be able to use the High Occupancy Toll HOT Lanes.
Regarding these
changes in rules, there comes a direct impact on slug lines. Drivers who pick
up slugs have to buy an EZ-Pass flex, switch EZ-Pass Flex to “HOV On” mode and drive
for free on HOT lanes. Since 1975 slugs
helped drivers to make use of the HOV Lanes, in return slugs got a free ride to
work. It is an effective system and will be impacted with the new rules on I-95
HOT Lanes:
- - About 10000 Hybrid Vehicles with clean fuel plates that were using I-95 HOV lanes as Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV) during the peak hours will have to pick up slugs or pay toll. This may increase the demand for the slugs.
- - Drivers that are waiting on the ramp so that they can get onto HOV lanes after HOV enforcement are out of luck. They have to pick up slugs or pay the toll to use the new HOT Lanes. This may extend slug lines past the peak hours.
With the new
rules going into effect as soon as the 95 Express Lanes open in December, there
is complete certainty that these impacts will definitely affect slug lines. However,
all those vehicles with the EZ-Pass Flex will benefit from the freedom to use
the HOT lanes for free when they pick up slugs or pay the variable toll between $.20 and $1.20 per mile based on the volume of traffic and zone.