How will HOT lanes change my commute?By Jenni HoganThe hot topic this week is HOT lanes! WSDOT is starting the four year HOT lane project on SR 167, Saturday, May 3rd. This has many of you asking a lot of questions about how it's all going to work. I will be posting the questions and answers below, along with reading them on the air so we can all help educate each other on these new options commuters will have. Question: I am so sorry. I must of been living in a cave. Can you explain to me this "hot spot" on Hwy 167? I go to WinCo in Kent from Seattle so I do not want to "screw" up the next time I go out there. Thank you! Answer: Thanks for your question. The good news is I don't think the HOT lanes will affect you at all. - If you are carpooling (you plus one) you don't need to do anything different, just get in the HOV lane and go (you and your friend should be fine to just do what you normally do). You'll see the tolling signs but this does not affect you. - If you are alone and want to ride on the normal lanes you don't need to do anything different, just stay out of the HOV lanes Click on this link for more information.
So what is different? The HOT lanes give people who are alone in their car the option to get in the HOV lane and bypass traffic. If you want this option you need to sign up for a good to go account on line. To do this, click on this link.
They will send you a sticker that you stick to the dash of your car. Once you have this sticker you can get into the HOV lane with only you in your car. The other big difference is you need to get in the HOV lane at an access point. They have changed the striping on the HOV lanes, if you see a double solid white line you can't leave or enter the lane. That means you can only enter the lane when you see an entry point. You can only exit when you see the line go back to being broken up. That is confusing people as if you don't exit at the right point you'll be stuck in HOV until the next entry/exit point (as you can't cross the double white lines). Click here for a map of the access points. Make sure to get in and out of the HOV lane there!
Let me know if you have any other questions or if this is still confusing. I hope it helps a little and please let me know how it goes. Cheers, Jenni Question: Can I cross the double white lines of the HOT lanes of 167 to exit? What if I am in the lanes legally carpooling? I think this is extremely unfair, if not! Answer: This is a very common question and a lot of people have written in with the same concern. Here is WSDOT's official response below: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: All vehicles, including carpools, are prohibited from crossing the double white line at any time except in the case of an emergency. It will be necessary for motorists to watch for road signs that direct them to the appropriate access point to exit HOT lanes prior to their highway exit. HOT lanes users also can refer to this access point map to plan their trip.
WSDOT has no authority to direct how this law is applied. It has been illegal to cross double white lines in this state since the 1960s when they first were introduced. The law is found in RCW 46.61.050 . In short, the law makes it illegal to disobey a traffic control device. Both the double lines and the signs that say "Illegal to cross the double white line" are considered traffic control devices.
Question: How can the DOT justify the new HOT/HOV lanes when they say this about Hybrids using the lanes..."However, the main purpose of the HOV system is to move people. Fuel-efficient cars do not increase the number of people moved on a freeway HOV lane unless there is more than one person in the car"? Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: HOV lanes are intended to move more people, rather than vehicles. But the HOV lanes on SR 167 have unused space, even during the peak-hour commute. Most HOV lanes move many more people than their adjacent general purpose (GP) lanes during rush hours. Even when the HOV lane doesn't look full, buses and van-pools are carrying more people than the cars in the GP lanes. In 2006, the HOV system moved 33% of all the people on the freeway during the peak commuting hours in only 18% of the vehicles. The average HOV lane carries 1 1/2 times as many people during rush hours (6-9 AM and 3-7 PM) than the average GP lane next to it. The HOV lanes on SR 167 aren't as well used. They carry only about the same number of people as the adjacent GP lane during the afternoon peak hours. These statistics were developed by researchers at the University of Washington who analyzed our automatic loop data and actually counted the number of people in the cars.
We want to maintain the HOV lanes on SR 167 to encourage people to carpool, but we also want to make better use of the surplus lane space. By filling in that space with just the right amount of additional vehicles the HOT lanes will run more smoothly with fewer starts and stops -- or shock waves, as we call them. Some of the pressure could be taken off the general purpose as well, as some solo drivers choose to use the HOT lane. It's important to remember that HOT lanes on SR 167 is a four-year pilot project. During that period we will be analyzing their performance and making adjustments to reach their maximum potential for making the highway more efficient. Question: Why if you already are paying to use this lane can't you move out of the lane when you want to? You are paying to use the lane, so you should be able to move in and out of the lane as you want and not be penalized for it. Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: This law is necessary for two reasons: First, it has proven to reduce collisions on other HOT lanes projects around the country. More than 25 percent of congestion is caused by collisions. Since the access points are limited to certain zones, traffic can move more freely and safely between zones. Drivers can anticipate incoming vehicle when entering a zone. Second, the do-not-cross rule is necessary to enable the State Patrol to enforce the new laws. A trooper can determine a solo driver paid the toll only if he sees the vehicle enter the HOT lane under the transponder reader antennas at each dashed-line access point. If we don't have good compliance and enforcement HOT lanes will not succeed in assuring carpools and transit the same fast trip they've enjoyed in the HOV lanes. Enforcement of the rule is up to the troopers. WSDOT has no authority to direct the State Patrol on how apply the no-double-crossing law. It has been illegal to cross double white lines in this state since the 1975 when they first were used. The law is found in RCW 46.61.050 . In short, the law makes it illegal to disobey a traffic control device. Both the double lines and the signs that say "Do not cross the double white lines" are considered traffic control devices.
Question: There are exits on the Highway, but you still have a double stripes you are not allowed to cross, except at the Willis St. Exit. So if you are using the lane and you need to get out of the HOV lane you are going to get punished for crossing the double line? That doesn't make sense. There should be an area for each exit on the freeway for you to legally move out of the HOV lane. Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: Getting the best use out of HOT lane without missing your exit might take a little trip planning. Take a look at this access point map and determine where are the best access zones to enter and exit HOT lanes. When HOT lanes open this weekend, there will be new signs along SR 167 instructing drivers where to access the HOT lane to reach a particular exit.
Question: It seems as if you are being punished one way or another using the HOV lane. How is this encouraging drivers to pay to use the lane? Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: We do not necessarily want to encourage solo drivers to use the highway. We're simply offering tolled use of the HOT lane as a means for improving traffic flow. The system is designed to have little to no impact on people who carpool, as well as those who don't use HOT lanes. By studying HOT lanes in other cities, we've found that acceptance of HOT lanes typically increases after the first couple of weeks when drivers are getting used to the system. The idea is to increase the number of vehicles in a carpool lane when there's room. By maintaining a steady flow of vehicles traveling at free-flow speeds, traffic will flow more smoothly with fewer starts and stops. Variable tolling assures that the lanes move freely (faster than 45 mph) even in the heaviest traffic. If congestion increases, so does the cost of the toll. That acts as flow valve, reducing the number of solo drivers who choose to enter the lane. If traffic gets too heavy, the lane automatically changes to HOV only.
A survey of more than 1,200 users of MnPASS HOT lanes (the HOT lanes system that is most closely like ours) in the Minneapolis area last year indicated:
Support for the idea of allowing single drivers to use carpool lanes by paying a fee was high -- one year after MnPASS implementation (65% "good idea" versus 22% "bad idea"). Approval was consistent across all income groups - 71% higher income, 61% middle income, and 64% lower income. Support remained strong among carpoolers (60% "good idea") and stable among transit users (49% "good idea"). 84% have used the MnPASS lanes as a carpooler, 9% as a single driver, and 2% as a bus rider. Willingness to pay to use the MnPASS lanes was higher for AM commute trips and for trips of more than 20 miles. An important thing to remember is that HOT lanes is a four-year pilot project. During that time we'll be monitoring and adjusting the system. The future of flexible tolling will depend on the success and acceptance of HOT lanes.
Question: If you enter the Hot Lanes at one price, are you charged at every trans-ponder, added on to the entry fee? Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: No. You pay just one toll per trip along the HOT lane. The toll amount that was displayed on the overhead sign when you enter the HOT lane for the first time is the price you pay. For instance, when you first enter the HOT lane you see that the current toll price is $1.50. As you enter, your account is debited that amount. As you drive in the HOT lane you pass through several access points and notice that the toll price changes to $2, then $1.75 and finally 75 cents before you exit the HOT lane. Those prices don't affect you because you've already paid your toll of $1.50. Question: I already have a transponder mounted on my windshield. If I use the carpool/HOT lane while carpooling, will I be charged? Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: Vehicles carrying two people or more use the HOT lane toll free. If you have a transponder on your windshield and want to drive in the HOT lane with at least one passenger, you will want to obtain a transponder shield from Good To Go! to deactivate your transponder and avoid being tolled. The shield is a piece of metal that attaches with Velcro over the transponder on the inside of your windshield. When attached it interferes with the radio frequency and prevents your account from being charged a toll. Please remember to remove the shield whenever driving on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge or in the HOT lanes as solo driver.
Question: Are the transponders for the Narrow's Bridge the same as the transponders for Hwy 167? Answer: Noel Brady, WSDOT Spokesperson, says: Yes. The same Good To Go! transponder that has been used on the Narrows Bridge also works on the SR 167 HOT lanes and vice-versa. If you have a transponder on your windshield and want to drive in the HOT lane with at least one passenger, you will want to obtain a transponder shield from Good To Go! to deactivate your transponder to avoid being tolled. The shield is a piece of metal that attaches with Velcro over the transponder on the inside of your windshield.
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