ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The 95 Express Lanes are opening from Stafford to
Alexandria next month and final preparations are underway.
The road will likely open within six to eight weeks, and Transurban is reaching
out again to popular locations for slugging and other carpools to let users know
to get an E-ZPass.
“Definitely get an E-ZPass or if you are a carpooler, get an E-ZPass Flex.
That’s absolutely critical if you slug today or carpool, be prepared with that E-
ZPass Flex on day one,” says Transurban spokesman Mike McGurk.
Drivers can get an E-ZPass at any Giant, Wegmans or AAA Mid-Atlantic location.
With an E-ZPass Flex, sluggers will still be able to ride for free. If you have
a regular E-ZPass, you must pay a toll to ride the lanes.
Transurban uses dynamic tolling that changes in real-time to guarantee a seamless
65 mph trip at any time of day.
The company uses a formula taking into account how many cars are in the lanes at
any given time, the average speed, and the traffic conditions on the main lanes.
If there are a lot of cars in the Express Lanes and the average speed is falling,
then Transurban will raise the price of tolls to keep traffic from building up
with new cars.
If the Express Lanes are relatively empty and the average driver is going 65 mph
or more, then the tolls will drop because there is enough room for more vehicles.
Even the free HOV users factor into the price because while they don’t pay a
toll, their vehicle adds to the overall traffic count.
Drivers going the full 29 miles from Stafford to Alexandria need to be aware of
two big changes.
First, Transurban will charge you two tolls. Once you hop on near Garrisonville
Road, you can only guarantee a toll until the Fairfax County Parkway. Then, at
the parkway, Transurban will offer you a second toll to Edsall Road. You can
either stay on, or get off. McGurk says the reason is because traffic conditions
might change dramatically near Edsall Road during the time it took to travel from
Stafford to the Fairfax County Parkway.
Second, the 95 Express Lanes end north of Edsall Road near Turkeycock Run.
“There will be some new traffic patterns, where the Express Lanes end and the HOV
lanes begin. So drivers should read up on the changes before the lanes open,”
says McGurk.
If you are an HOV user, nothing will change and you’ll be able to continue past
Edsall Road to the 14th Street Bridge. However, if you do not have three or more
people, then you must exit at Turkeycock Run during standard HOV hours or risk
getting a ticket between Edsall Road and the D.C. line. That stretch will follow
the same HOV rules that exist today.
Similarly, in the afternoon rush, the Express Lanes will be reversible, but non-
HOV users cannot hop on between the 14th Street Bridge and Edsall Road or they’ll
get a ticket. Once you reach Edsall Road, the Express Lanes will be open to
everyone.
“Now is the time to get ready because come day one, we will be enforcing the new
rules of the road,” says McGurk.
Transurban also hopes the new first-time forgiveness program
will help people getting used to these new lanes. Under the program, Transurban
will waive all administrative fees within 60 days for any E-ZPass user with an
unpaid toll.
Drivers must rectify the problem with their E-ZPass and pay the original tolls
within 60 days to qualify.
“If you get an invoice from us, and you have an E-ZPass and have a question, call
us. We will work with you to waive the administrative fees and collect the tolls
because we want you to have a good experience. We want you to know what you need
to do as a traveler to use the Express Lanes,” says Pierce Coffee, another
Transurban spokesperson.
She says 96 percent are registered on the road. Only 4 percent go to an invoice.
“No longer will you see headlines where first-time violators are taken to court
for more than four trips or $2,200 in total,” says Coffee.
As WTOP has reported, Transurban took Toni Cooley and Jim Diller to Fairfax
County General District Court last month seeking a combined $30,000 for $19 in
tolls. Cooley paid her $11 in tolls and fixed her E-ZPass issue, but Transurban
wouldn’t accept her decision not to pay the administrative fees.
Coffee says this won’t happen to first-time violators anymore and users can feel
confident about their experience on the 95 Express Lanes.
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