WASHINGTON — The 95 Express Lanes are a year old, and the company managing them claims most customers are happy. The High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes enjoy “75 percent customer satisfaction,” according to a recent survey of 1,700 area drivers on behalf of Transurban, the company that operates the lanes.
The HOT lanes allow high-occupancy vehicles carrying at least three people (referred to as HOV-3) to ride free, while solo drivers pay a fluctuating toll based on lane congestion.
The survey finds 59 percent of area drivers have used either the 95 or 495 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia, and that 48 percent of Express Lanes customers use Express Lanes on both highways.
Some opponents dub HOT lanes “Lexus Lanes,” saying they accommodate wealthy drivers while drivers of more modest means who are reluctant to pay tolls have no option but to get stuck in clogged traffic.
The Transurban September 2015 survey reports the most popular cars on the Express Lanes are:
- Toyota, 21 percent
- Honda, 15 percent
- Ford, 12 percent
- Chevy, 6 percent
- Nissan, 5 percent
- Lexis, 3 percent
The survey does not indicate how many of those vehicles were using the lanes free as HOV-3 or were paying a toll.
As the Express Lanes enter their second year of service, the company managing them faces legal action from drivers claiming they were unfairly charged excessive fines for minor infractions involving the electronic collection of tolls with E-ZPass transponders.
Last month, a court ruled that a class action suit over the matter could move forward. Transurban spokesman Mike McGurk told WTOP at the time, “We are confident the process will demonstrate that Transurban’s enforcement policy ensures customers are informed, provides significant opportunities for customers to avoid escalating fees, and is far more lenient than what is prescribed by Virginia law.”
A U.S. District Court judge in February 2016 is expected to decide whether to certify that the drivers suing as a “class” have a legitimate claim in order to proceed with a suit.
