ROADSBy David Alpert (Founder) December 5, 201748
Image by @salesgrlncity used with permission.
Solo drivers gained a new option on Monday to pay a toll to drive on I-66 in Virginia inside the Beltway, and the tolls hit $35-40 during morning rush hours. The reactions to this offer a window into the way people respond to prices, and what might happen if and when similar new toll lanes open around the region in the future.
Last week, only people in carpools with two people or more, drivers with an exempt hybrid vehicle, or people going to Dulles Airport could drive on I-66 inside the Beltway in the peak direction (eastbound in the morning, westbound in the afternoon) during peak times. Everybody else was banned, period, and had to use US-50, the GW Parkway, or another road.
This week, every solo driver also now has the option to drive on the road if they pay a toll. Hybrid folks and Dulles users also lost their privileges, and the hours of tolling were increased.
To many drivers' surprise, though, the tolls during rush hour were high, hitting $34.50 Monday morning and reaching $40 Tuesday. Some drivers took to Twitter (hopefully, after finishing driving since they were clearly solo) in a rage:
A line of cars enter southbound I-680 in Fremont at Washington Blvd. on July 25, 2011 during the first day metering lights have been turned on. Officials hope that the addition of metering lights on freeway onramps combined with the existing toll and car pool lanes will improve the commute into Silicon Valley. (Gary Reyes / Mercury News)
By GARY RICHARDS | grichards@bayareanewsgroup.com |
PUBLISHED: March 3, 2017 at 7:00 am | UPDATED: March 3, 2017 at 8:37 am
Q I’ve noticed that there is a significant backup at 2:30 p.m. at the Auto Mall Parkway ramp to north Interstate 680. So it takes longer to get on the freeway. But I think the freeway flows better.
Becky Altman
Richmond
Related Articles
Antioch: Fatal freeway crash halts traffic
Morgan Territory Road: Time for resumption of running water targeted
Palo Alto: Council studies impact of Stanford’s growth plans
San Leandro: Gunbattle suspect arrested, weapons, drugs, cash confiscated
Castro Valley: Crow Canyon Road reopens after mudslideA Nearly three months after turning this and two other meters on at 680 through Fremont caused an enormous howl, it’s time to check back in.
Q Gary, as a long-time 680 commuter, I am finally seeing some real effects from the Fremont metering lights. After Auto Mall, 680 north flows much better until Andrade Road.
Now if they would please add a metering light at Andrade, traffic would really move. Please use your considerable influence to see that happen.
Mike Call
San Ramon
A I’m trying. Caltrans could begin installing meters north of Fremont to Interstate 580 in another year. But it’ll be at least 2019 before they are working. Now back to the disgruntled.
Q Caltrans is clueless and “Hans-the-Fremont-Traffic Czar” is deluded if they think that the meters installed on the Auto Mall on-ramp have helped. They have in fact had just the opposite effect. … The afternoon heavy traffic on Auto Mall is out of control. Fremont police need to step up traffic surveillance.
Clearly, something needs to be done to regulate traffic in this area.
Richard Yerman and others
Fremont
A The cops will be back out.
Q I have been a Fremont resident for over 15 years and the local traffic has gotten unbearable. I recently saw Hans-the-Fremont-Traffic-Czar’s posts about the metering lights and no turn signs and added stop signs to help discourage cut-through traffic. Hans, it’s not working.
My child attends St. Joseph school and it has become a nightmare to drop off and pick up my child from school, not to mention increasingly dangerous. For those of us who live and do business in Fremont, all the changes have not made things easier but just more difficult as we try to live our daily lives.
If you think these changes are helping, go sit in front of St. Joseph’s at Mission and 680 on a Friday around 3 p.m. But you will have to leave an hour early to get there since the traffic waiting to get onto 680 is so bad. We can barely get in and out of the parking lot to pick up our children.
Many of us have resorted to parking up the street and walking but then getting our children back to the cars is dangerous because of all the backed-up road ragers on Mission who block keep-clear areas and don’t pay attention to pedestrians.
Trying to make it inconvenient for drivers doesn’t discourage them, it makes them madder.
Kathryn Kaye
A concerned Mom
A She has been rear-ended twice going to pick up her child from school by drivers impatient to get onto 680.
