Since December 4, solo commuters traveling along I-66 have been charged a toll for eastbound travel from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. and westbound travel from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. The toll amounts are dynamically based on the volume of cars on the road. This method of tolling increases the average commute speed and aims to reduce congestion on the interstate by moving more people in fewer cars through the corridor.
If you’re planning to use I-66 for your daily commute, you can expect an average round-trip price of $12.37 ($8.07 eastbound, $4.30 westbound) if driving alone. Although the conversation has centered on the high toll amounts commuters pay to access the express lanes, only 0.1% of the 594,381 total trips in January paid a toll of $40 or more. More importantly, VDOT’s January 2018 Performance Report shows that 43% of all vehicles were carpools traveling with an E-ZPass Flex, resulting in a free commute.
VDOT’s numbers also showed that the I-66 Express Lanes are faster for a daily commute when compared to alternate routes in the I-66 corridor. The average travel speed on I-66 during January was 57.5 mph compared to 47.2 mph the previous year. Travel times decreased for both the morning commute (3.7 minutes shorter) and the afternoon commute (2.8 minutes shorter), as compared to January 2017.
Take advantage of the I-66 Express Lanes and enjoy a faster commute–all drivers need an E-ZPass to access the lanes during active toll hours. If you plan to carpool– and save money–you will need an E-ZPass Flex.
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