TRANSURBAN GROUP 
By Media Contacts:
Pierce Coffee Andrew LaVanway
571.419.6102 703.628.2503
pcoffee@transurban.com alavanway@okco.com
Faster, More Predictable Travel Coming to the Capital Beltway in Virginia
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 websitefocuses 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:
• Understand how the Express Lanes will improve Beltway travel
• Learn how to use the new Express Lanes
• Plan new routes on the Express Lanes
• Get personalized Express Lanes information including customized directions and sign up for email alerts
• Find safety tips before using the Express Lanes
"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
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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.
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- Flour, 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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| distribué par | Ce noodl a été diffusé par Transurban Group Ltd. et initialement mise en ligne sur le site http://www.transurban.com.au. La version originale est disponible ici. Ce noodl a été distribué par noodls dans son format d'origine et sans modification sur 2012-01-10 07:31:30 AM et restera accessible depuis ce lien permanent. Cette annonce est protégée par les règles du droit d'auteur et toute autre loi applicable, et son propriétaire est seul responsable de sa véracité et de son originalité. |
| Documents associés | |
| Capital Beltway HOT Lanes education campaign kicks off today |
