October 16, 2012
Tysons Corner is home to some of the largest employers in Northern Virginia.
With the 495 Express Lanes now open to Beltway drivers, Tysons-area employees can realize a faster and more predictable trip. What this means: arriving at that important meeting on-time, making that doctor’s appointment across town and having an option for a more predictable trip during rush hour.
With new dedicated access ramps at popular Tysons locations such as Westpark Drive and Jones Branch Drive, the Express Lanes will provide Tysons-area drivers with time-saving routes into and out of Tysons Corner.
To help you understand how the new Express Lanes access points help employers in Tysons, check out our Tysons employer map.
October 1, 2012
Alexandria, Va.– 495 Express Lanes today announced the winner of the “Win a MINI” car giveaway contest launched as part of an educational campaign to prepare Northern Virginia drivers for the new travel option coming to the Capital Beltway. The lucky winner, Richard Leach of Annandale, won a custom designed MINI from Passport MINI of Alexandria.
“We are thrilled to work with Richard to get him in the MINI of his choice,” said Jay Klein, vice president, Passport Auto Group. “We hope that he will enjoy traveling in style in his new MINI on the 495 Express Lanes. Passport MINI was proud to partner with the 495 Express Lanes on this important project to help make driving more enjoyable for everyone in the region.”
The MINI promotion, launched May 25, was designed to accelerate the adoption of E-ZPass®and the new E-ZPass®FlexSM among Northern Virginia drivers in anticipation of the Express Lanes opening later this year. To be eligible for the contest, participants were required to register their E-ZPass on the 495 Express Lanes website by August 31.
“I knew my E-ZPass would allow me to use the 495 Express Lanes for a faster trip, but I never imagined it would also help me win a MINI,” Leach said. “With my E-ZPass and new MINI, I am ready to use the Express Lanes and experience a better commute.”
To help keep traffic moving at free flowing speeds, drivers will need an E-ZPass to use the Express Lanes – there are no toll booths or options to pay cash. Carpoolers will need the new E-ZPass Flex to ensure a toll-free trip on the Express Lanes. To find out where you can get an E-ZPass, please visit http://www.ezpassva.com/.
For the month of October, drivers who open a new Virginia E-ZPass account and get an E-ZPass or E-ZPass®FlexSM will receive one week of toll-free travel on the 495 Express Lanes. To be eligible to receive the week of toll-free travel, drivers must open a new Virginia E-ZPass account in October and register on the 495 Express Lanes website. To get started, and for complete rules and details, please visit www.495ExpressLanes.com/offer.
“The 495 Express Lanes are on track to open later this year and we can’t wait to see Richard driving the lanes in his new MINI,” said Tim Steinhilber, Transurban’s general manager for the 495 Express Lanes Project. “To experience the benefits of the new travel option, drivers must have an E-ZPass. We encourage all drivers to get their E-ZPass now so they are prepared to use the lanes when they open.”
The 495 Express Lanes are on schedule to be completed in 2012 and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dynamic pricing based on real-time traffic conditions manages the demand for the lanes, keeping the Express Lanes moving. The 14-mile Express Lanes will be free for carpoolers with three or more people, buses, motorcycles and emergency vehicles. Other drivers may pay a toll for a faster, more predictable trip. Drivers will lock in their rate when they enter the lanes and pay tolls electronically with E-ZPass.
In addition to providing drivers with an option for a more predictable trip, the 495 Express Lanes will include three new Beltway entry and exit points meaning a safer and more direct route to popular locations in Tysons Corner and Merrifield.
About 495 Express Lanes
The 495 Express Lanes are new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that will operate on the I-495/Capital Beltway to provide drivers faster and more predictable travel options on I-495. The two new HOT lanes in each direction on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway are from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road (approximately 14 miles). Being delivered through apublic-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban-Fluor, the Express Lanes will give drivers the freedom to control how and when they arrive at their destination. For more information, please visit 495ExpressLanes.com.
About Passport MINI of Alexandria
Passport MINI of Alexandria opened their doors in 2009, quickly becoming the top MINI dealership on the East Coast, providing their famous dedication to customer service and loyalty to MINI enthusiasts. For more information, please visitwww.passportmini.com.
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September 4, 2012
Alexandria, Va.–495 Express Lanes today announced drivers who open a new E-ZPass account and get an E-ZPass or E-ZPass®FlexSM in September will receive two toll-free weeks of travel on the 495 Express Lanes.
The toll giveaway program is part of an educational campaign to prepare Beltway drivers for the new travel option coming on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway. The 495 Express Lanes will provide new options for a faster, more predictable trip on the Capital Beltway and give drivers more control over how and when they get to their destination. Drivers will need an E-ZPass to use the Express Lanes – there are no toll booths or options to pay cash. Carpoolers will need the new E-ZPass Flex to ensure a toll-free trip on the Express Lanes
“As vacation travel slows and is replaced by back to school traffic, we are reminded that traffic in this region never stops,” said Tim Steinhilber, Transurban’s general manager for the 495 Express Lanes Project. “When the Express Lanes open later this year they will provide the first real relief from Beltway traffic gridlock. We want all drivers to be prepared to take advantage of the new travel option and the first step is to get an E-ZPass. By getting an E-ZPass now you not only receive the benefits of E-ZPass, you also get two toll-free weeks of travel on the 495 Express Lanes.”
To be eligible to receive two weeks of toll-free travel, drivers must register on the 495 Express Lanes website – www.495ExpressLanes.com/offer – and get a new E-ZPass in September. For complete rules and details, please visit www.495ExpressLanes.com/offer.
Drivers can get an E-ZPass online at the E-ZPass website – www.ezpassva.com. E-ZPass is also available at retail locations including AAA Mid-Atlantic stores, select Wegmans in Northern Virginia, E-ZPass Customer Service Centers and the Tysons Corner DMV. Find out where you can get an E-ZPass here http://www.ezpassva.com/.
The 495 Express Lanes are two new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway. The 14-mile Express Lanes will be free for carpoolers with three or more people, buses, motorcycles and emergency vehicles. Other drivers may pay a toll for a faster, more predictable trip.
The 495 Express Lanes are on schedule to be completed in late 2012 and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lanes will use dynamic pricing to keep traffic free flowing and provide a more predictable travel option on the Beltway. Dynamic pricing based on real-time traffic conditions manages the demand for the lanes, keeping the Express Lanes moving. Drivers will lock in their rate when they enter the lanes and pay tolls electronically with E-ZPass.
In addition to providing drivers with an option for a more predictable trip, the 495 Express Lanes will include three new Beltway entry and exit points meaning a safer and more direct route to popular locations in Tysons Corner and Merrifield.
About 495 Express Lanes
The 495 Express Lanes are new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that will operate on the I-495/Capital Beltway to provide drivers faster and more predictable travel options on I-495. The two new HOT lanes in each direction on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway are from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road (approximately 14 miles). Being delivered through apublic-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban-Fluor, the Express Lanes will give drivers the freedom to control how and when they arrive at their destination. For more information, please visit 495ExpressLanes.com.
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August 13, 2012
Alexandria, Va. – Beginning the week of August 13 through the end of the month, the 495 Express Lanes team will be testing the Express Lanes’ tolling and traffic management systems through a series of “test-drives” at highway speeds in the 495 Express Lanes. Drivers traveling on the adjacent Beltway lanes are advised to stay alert when traveling on the Beltway during this time, as the lanes are not yet open to the traveling public.
The on-road vehicle testing is part of a thorough series of system tests that are underway on the 495 Express Lanes – all of which are necessary to ensure that the 495 Express Lanes’ tolling and traffic management equipment and systems (on the roadway and in the Operations Center) work properly and can manage Express Lanes traffic at all times.
“The all-electronic facility will use technology to manage travel on the Express Lanes and get drivers moving on the Beltway,” commented Tim Steinhilber, Transurban-Fluor’s General Manager of the 495 Express Lanes. “The full functionality of the 495 Express Lanes’ tolling and traffic management system is essential to the success of the 495 Express Lanes. This testing phase is critical to ensure that our systems are ready to deliver faster and more predictable travel to drivers.”
Steinhilber added, “Because the on-road testing will be clearly visible to travelers on the adjacent Beltway lanes, it is important that drivers stay alert and do not follow these vehicles into the Express Lanes. As always, drivers should avoid distractions when traveling the Beltway during the testing phase and through the remaining months of busy 495 Express Lanes construction.”
What to Expect:
Technologies and Equipment undergoing Testing:
What Drivers Need to Know Before the Express Lanes Open:
About 495 Express Lanes
The 495 Express Lanes are new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that will operate on the I-495/Capital Beltway to provide drivers faster and more predictable travel options on I-495. The two new HOT lanes in each direction on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway are from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road (approximately 14 miles). Being delivered through a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban-Fluor, the Express Lanes will give drivers the freedom to control how and when they arrive at their destination. For more information, please visit 495ExpressLanes.com.
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May 25, 2012
Alexandria, Va.– 495 Express Lanes today announced the launch of a three-month car giveaway contest designed to accelerate the adoption of E-ZPass and the new E-ZPass® FlexSM among Northern Virginia drivers in anticipation of the Express Lanes opening later this year. The lucky winner will custom-design his or her own MINI from Passport MINI of Alexandria.
To enter the contest, participants must register their E-ZPass on the 495 Express Lanes website – www.495ExpressLanes.com/winaMINI – by August 31, 2012. Drivers who do not currently have an E-ZPass can visit the 495 Express Lanes website to learn where to get an E-ZPass, register on the Express Lanes website and enter to win the MINI. Complete rules and regulations are available on the 495 Express Lanes website.
“As a Northern Virginia business, we could not be more excited about the 495 Express Lanes – a project that will put drivers back in control of their commutes on the Capital Beltway,” said Jay Klein, vice president, Passport BMW/MINI/Toyota. “Like the Express Lanes, our business is all about keeping people moving and we can’t wait to put one lucky Northern Virginia driver behind the wheel of their own custom-designed MINI.”
The MINI giveaway is part of an educational campaign to prepare Virginia Beltway travelers for the new travel option coming on the Capital Beltway. The 495 Express Lanes will provide new options for a faster, more predictable trip on the Capital Beltway in Virginia and help drivers control how and when they get to their destination. To keep traffic moving at free flowing speeds, drivers will need an E-ZPass to use the Express Lanes – there are no toll booths or options to pay cash. Carpoolers will need the new E-ZPass Flex to ensure a toll-free trip on the Express Lanes. The E-ZPass Flex will be available in July.
“As we approach the opening of the 495 Express Lanes later this year, we are focused on getting Northern Virginia drivers ready to use the Lanes,” said Tim Steinhilber, Transurban’s general manager for the 495 Express Lanes Project. “An important first step is getting an E-ZPass as all drivers must have an E-ZPass to use the Lanes. If you don’t have an E-ZPass, this summer is the time to get one. Not only will you experience the benefits of E-ZPass, you’ll also have the opportunity to win a MINI.”
Travelers can see various MINI models at upcoming community festivals and events where the 495 Express Lanes and Passport MINI of Alexandria teams will be. Visit the 495 Express Lanes booth at the following events to learn more about MINI and how to enter to win:
The 495 Express Lanes are two new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway. The 14-mile Express Lanes will be free for carpoolers with three or more people, buses, motorcycles and emergency vehicles. Other drivers may pay a toll for a faster, more predictable trip.
The 495 Express Lanes are on schedule to be completed in late 2012 and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lanes will use dynamic pricing to keep traffic free flowing and provide a more predictable travel option on the Beltway. Dynamic pricing based on real-time traffic conditions manages the demand for the lanes, keeping the Express Lanes moving. Drivers will lock in their rate when they enter the lanes and pay tolls electronically with E-ZPass.
In addition to providing drivers with an option for a more predictable trip, the 495 Express Lanes will include three new Beltway entry and exit points meaning a safer and more direct route to popular locations in Tysons Corner and Merrifield.
About 495 Express Lanes
The 495 Express Lanes are new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that will operate on the I-495/Capital Beltway to provide drivers faster and more predictable travel options on I-495. The two new HOT lanes in each direction on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway are from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road (approximately 14 miles). Being delivered through a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban-Fluor, the Express Lanes will give drivers the freedom to control how and when they arrive at their destination. For more information, please visit 495ExpressLanes.com.
About Passport MINI of Alexandria
Passport MINI of Alexandria opened their doors in 2009, quickly becoming the top MINI dealership on the East Coast, providing their famous dedication to customer service and loyalty to MINI enthusiasts. For more information, please visitwww.passportmini.com.
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February 9, 2012
About the Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program
When it rains, most people think galoshes, umbrellas, soggy pant legs and bad hair days. But for the staff of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD), a rainy day means an opportunity for Northern Virginians to take steps to improve local water quality and generate their own water sources.
NVSWCD, Arlington County, Falls Church, Alexandria and Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment deliver the Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program to area residents. Launched in 2006, the program works to educate Northern Virginians about how they can use low-cost rain barrels as a tool to ensure the protection of the area’s water quality and streams.
According to Lily Whitesell, a watershed specialist with the NVSWCD, when it rains in non-urban areas, there is a natural rise and fall in streams. However, when it rains in residential areas, large amounts of water flows down our roofs, over our lawns and along our roads, entering the storm drains and ending up in our streams. When this happens, fertilizer, pesticides, pet waste, motor oil and other chemicals are picked up and funneled directly into tributaries which feed the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, threatening water quality.
To help make an impact, the Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program offers two-hour rain barrel workshops throughout Northern Virginia. During the workshops, residents learn about their watershed, how residential rain barrels help protect water quality in the local environment and build and take home a rain barrel for their own use. Program partners also offer distributions of pre-made rain barrels.
The program’s rain barrels – recycled 55-gallon pickle, olive and jalapeño pepper barrels – are connected to the downspout of a house and hold rain runoff that flows from the roof. The conserved rainwater can then be used to water gardens or wash cars and is gradually absorbed into the ground.
Whitesell notes that the Rain Barrel Program is important for three reasons:
1. It’s a tangible action that people can take to help solve a problem: Communities can help mitigate the damages that impervious surfaces can have on stream water quality in the area. “In the D.C. area where it can rain one day, followed by a period of dry conditions, it’s a great way to get more people aware of how to harvest rain water,” Whitesell notes. “Through the impervious surfaces we use every day – our homes, roads, schools, shops and offices, we are all contributing to the water quality problem. This program allows us to be part of the solution too.”
2. It’s a vehicle for education: “It’s a great program for people who want to do the right thing but aren’t sure where to start,” Whitesell said. “At the workshops, we take a basic look at what we all can do: conservation landscaping in your yard, cut back on fertilizer and pesticide use, install a rain barrel or even a rain garden, or simply adopt your nearest storm drain and make sure nothing goes in it except rain or snow.”
3. It’s a way to help conserve water and money: “In our area, we are fortunate to have about 3.5 feet of rain per year, but much of the country is not as fortunate. Reinforcing the message of water conservation is important. Plus, it’s always nice to save money on your water bill,” Whitesell said.
495 Express Lanes Community Grant Support
The Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program is a self-sustaining program funded through the sale of rain barrels. NVSWCD and the Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division, together with local neighborhood association leaders, applied for a grant from Transurban-Flour to offer free rain barrel workshops to residents of neighborhoods in the 495 Express Lanes corridor.
The Rain Barrel Program was able to distribute more barrels in the community through funds from the 495 Express Lanes Community Grant Program, reaching more people and multiplying its impact.
“Because the barrels were free and part of a community-building event, we reached people who would have otherwise not been reached,” Whitesell said. “The program educated residents about impervious surfaces and their impact on local stream health and the larger Chesapeake Bay watershed, and empowered individuals to make a difference in storm water management on their own property.”
The Express Lanes team chose to support the Rain Barrel Program because of its commitment to the environment.
“Transurban-Fluor believes in supporting organizations that work to improve their communities,” said Tim Steinhilber, Transurban’s general manager for the 495 Express Lanes Project. “The Rain Barrel Program provides Northern Virginians with the tools they need to protect the area’s water quality. We are proud to support an organization that has a mission based on improving the streams of our communities.”
More Information
Northern Virginia residents are invited to attend rain barrel workshops. For additional information about the Rain Barrel Program or to register for a workshop, visit the rain barrel website at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/rainbarrels.htm
For additional questions, email rainbarrel@fairfaxcounty.gov
February 9, 2012
About the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Summer Concert Series
For most busy families, an invitation to spend a summer evening together listening to live music in a comfortable, picturesque venue elicits responses of, “What’s the catch?” or more importantly, “How much?”
With the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Summer Concert Series, however, there is no catch. For the past 20 years, it has offered free, outdoor community concerts throughout Fairfax County to Northern Virginia families.
“The outdoor concerts give residents a chance to get close with nature and enjoy their friends and family for the evening, without spending any money,” said Sousan Frankenberger, special event and volunteer manager for the Fairfax County Park Authority.
The Summer Concert Series offers more than 200 concerts each summer season in Fairfax County parks. The concerts average 70,000 attendees per season and in 2011 featured diverse musical programming including jazz, folk, and bluegrass. International dancers, puppets and storytellers were among other acts that performed on the parks’ stages.
“The concerts create an environment where families spanning from grandparents to toddlers can join together based on their love of the arts,” Frankenberger said. “As an added benefit, the concerts are great because patrons get to know their neighborhood parks. They appreciate the overall environment and natural settings, which in turn, creates park stewards.”
495 Express Lanes Community Grant Support
The Summer Concert series helps build a sense of community in Northern Virginia by bringing together neighborhoods, sponsors, and volunteers.
While county sources such as the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County arts communities, the Fairfax County Arts Organization, and volunteers provide in-kind support, no Fairfax County tax monies are used to support the program. The concert series depends on sponsors to help fund the concerts.
“We’re lucky that there are many performers in the area, but the main challenge we face is having enough funding to pay them,” Frankenberger said.
To help cover the cost of the concerts, the Fairfax County Park Foundation applied for a community grant from the 495 Express Lanes. The grant funding supported programming for four concert series.
“Grants from sponsors such as the 495 Express Lanes show that donors are still willing to contribute during difficult economic times to provide something valuable to the community,” Frankenberger said. “We’re very appreciative of the grant as it helps us provide a greater number of quality shows.”
Frankenberger said the concert series aims to create an enjoyable evening for concert guests and a bond between the parks and the arts, and adds that “the grant from the 495 Express Lanes Community Grant Program helped us achieve just that.”
The Express Lanes team chose to support the summer concert series because of its commitment to the community.
“The summer concert series is not only a great family event, but it also provides residents with an opportunity to learn more about the parks in the area,” said Tim Steinhilber, Transurban’s general manager for the 495 Express Lanes Project. “We are pleased to support the Summer Concert Series through the Park Foundation so that the Fairfax County Park Authority can continue its great work for the community and environment.”
More Information
The Fairfax County Park Authority is planning next year’s Summer Concert Series and is always looking for new talent for the concerts and volunteers to staff the events. To submit talent or volunteer names, please email Sousan Frankenberger at Sousan.Frankeberger@fairfaxcounty.gov or call (703) 324-8566.
For updates on the entire concert series, please visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances
February 9, 2012
Richmond, Va. – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that the 495 Express Lanes project on the Capital Beltway in northern Virginia has awarded nearly $450 million in contracts to small and disadvantaged businesses.
“The 495 Express Lanes commitment to small, women, and minority-owned businesses is the largest in Virginia’s history for a single transportation project,” McDonnell said. “In these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever to support businesses in our local communities. The Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban-Fluor partnership to foster small-business participation in the 495 Express Lanes construction can be a model for other governments embarking on large, multiyear infrastructure improvements.”
Since 2007, VDOT, Transurban-Fluor and design-builder Fluor-Lane have focused on increasing small and disadvantaged business participation in the construction of the 495 Express Lanes, a five-year, $1.3 billion initiative to improve traffic flow along the Capital Beltway. Four new lanes, set to be completed in late 2012, will span a 14-mile stretch of the Beltway.
To date, the VDOT and Transurban-Fluor partnership has engaged 134 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) companies and 149 Small, Women, and Minority Owned (SWaM) companies. Approximately 75 percent of the small and disadvantaged businesses are headquartered in Virginia, and approximately 17 percent are headquartered in the local Maryland area or the District of Columbia. Moreover, the partnership continues to seek ways to work together to build upon existing commitments.
Before construction started, the team focused on creating contract opportunities tailored to increase DBE/SWaM participation. The partnership then identified and encouraged DBE and SWaM companies to submit bids by hosting Business Opportunity Sessions. Work scope sessions were held with prime contractors, diversity subcontractors, and suppliers to forge relationships and to encourage partnerships on opportunities within the project. Once construction started, the business development team shifted its focus to support awarded contractors to ensure their success.
Beyond just the small business contracting success, the total economic impact of the 495 Express Lanes project is significant. Construction is supporting 11,800 jobs and is expected to generate $2.7 billion in economic benefit for the Washington Metropolitan Area over the 2008-2013 period, according to a study by the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis. In addition to the immediate construction benefits, the completed project is expected to accelerate business growth and increase property values throughout the region.
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January 9, 2012
Alexandria, Va.– A new educational campaign to prepare Virginia Beltway travelers for the landmark change coming to travel on I-495 kicked off today. The HOT Lanes, now formally known as the 495 Express Lanes, will provide extensive new options for a faster, more predictable trip on the Capital Beltway in Virginia and help drivers control how and when they get to their destination. Today’s website launch is a first step in a year-long education campaign focused on educating the community on how to safely take advantage of the new travel options when the lanes open in late 2012.
The 495 Express Lanes are two new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway. The 14-mile Express Lanes will be free for carpoolers with three or more people, buses, motorcycles and emergency vehicles. Other drivers may pay a toll for a faster, more predictable trip. The name of the new traffic solution has changed from HOT Lanes to Express Lanes because the on-road signage will say “EXPRESS” and we want customers to become familiar with what they will see on the road.
The new 495 Express Lanes website focuses on educating the community on what the Express Lanes are and how to use the new travel option. The website includes everything from detailed maps outlining how each interchange will work to information about safety in the lanes. On the website, customers and the community can:
“The 495 Express Lanes will fundamentally change how the region thinks about and uses the Capital Beltway in Virginia,” said Tim Steinhilber, Transurban’s general manager for the 495 Express Lanes Project. “Between the new exits and on-ramps, the new travel options and the significant increase in capacity, the Beltway will be wholly different than just a few years ago. Drivers and local businesses need to understand the scale of this change, examine the details to prepare to use them and see how the lanes will benefit them. It’s also essential that all future customers know the rules of the road to ensure a safe trip for themselves and those around them.”
The 495 Express Lanes will provide much-needed relief to heavily congested Northern Virginia. According to the Texas Transportation Institute’s 2011 Urban Mobility Report, the Washington, D.C. area has the worst traffic congestion in the United States and yearly commutes that are twice as long as the national average.
“The 495 Express Lanes are the first roadway of their kind in the region,” said Gregory A. Whirley Sr., VDOT Commissioner. “As with anything new, there is a learning curve and we want to make sure drivers and the community are educated and equipped to use the lanes. The more customers understand, the greater the benefits they will see from the lanes – no matter how frequently they intend to use them.”
The 495 Express Lanes are on schedule to be completed in late 2012 and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lanes will use dynamic pricing to keep traffic free flowing and provide a more predictable travel option on the Beltway. Dynamic pricing based on real-time traffic conditions manages the demand for the lanes, keeping the Express Lanes moving. Drivers will lock in their rate when they enter the lanes and pay tolls electronically with E-ZPass. There are no toll booths on the Express Lanes.
In addition to providing drivers with an option for a more predictable trip, the 495 Express Lanes will include three new Beltway entry and exit points meaning a safer and more direct route to popular locations in Tysons Corner and Merrifield.
Construction on the 495 Express Lanes is fully underway. The project includes the replacement of more than $260 million of aging infrastructure including 58 bridges and overpasses.
About 495 Express Lanes
The 495 Express Lanes are new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that will operate on the I-495/Capital Beltway to provide drivers faster and more predictable travel options on I-495. The two new HOT lanes in each direction on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway are from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road (approximately 14 miles). Being delivered through apublic-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban-Fluor, the Express Lanes will give drivers the freedom to control how and when they arrive at their destination. For more information, please visit 495ExpressLanes.com.
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January 9, 2012
The 495 Express Lanes are one of many high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes facilities in the United States. HOT lanes have improved travel and provided benefits to drivers throughout the country – continue reading to learn more.
HOT Lanes: A History
1995 marked the launch of the first HOT lanes facility – SR91 Express in Los Angeles. The project’s success garnered the attention of the U.S. Congress and the Federal Highway Administration, which endorsed the HOT lanes concept when it introduced the Value Pricing Pilot Program in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. In 2006, the federal government reinforced its support for HOT lanes through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which has provisions specific to HOT lanes. Today, states across the country are implementing HOT lanes to help ease congestion and deliver affordable infrastructure.
Why are state governments building HOT Lanes?
HOT Lanes:
Providing Benefits Across the Country
HOT lanes with variable toll prices provide faster, more reliable travel times.
Toll-paying customers on HOT lanes come from all income levels and most use the lanes infrequently.
HOT lanes encourage carpooling.
HOT Lanes promote reliable bus travel.