About the Project
In conjunction with the I-95/I-395 HOV/Bus/HOT Lanes Project, a recommended plan has been developed to enhance transit and travel demand management services (TDM) in the corridor. TDM involves various services/strategies designed to reduce demand on roadways, including carpooling, vanpooling and telecommuting.
 
The Department of Rail and Public Transportation managed the study and was guided by a Technical Advisory Committee consisting of local, state, regional and federal jurisdictional/agency staff.

The Goals
The study addressed two goals:                
1) Maintain transit and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) ridership.                             
2) Make use of the HOT lane features to attract new transit and HOV riders.

The Study Corridor
For the purpose of the I-95/I-395 HOV/Bus/HOT Lanes Project, the corridor was defined as 56-miles of I-95/I-395 stretching from Arlington to Massaponax.  The Transit/TDM Study focused on this portion of I-95/I-395 and also looked at serving markets beyond the corridor including, but not limited to, the District of Columbia and Tysons Corner.

Study Activities
The study included the following principal activities:

• Development and evaluation of three tiered transit/TDM alternatives with differing service levels and levels of investment based on projected HOT lane revenue contributions, fares, and other potential funding.
• Development of cost/revenue projections for each transit/TDM alternative.
• Forecast travel in the corridor; and
• On-line survey of habits and attitudes of corridor travelers.

 Recommended Transit/TDM Improvements Included:

• TDM initiatives to increase carpooling, vanpooling and slugging
• Modifications to existing routes to serve new markets
• New bus services        
• Fixed guideway/rail

           - Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
           - Enhanced VRE/Amtrak

• Other capital improvements such as:

           - Improvements to transit stations,
           - New/improved Park and Ride lots,
           - In-line transit stations at major activity centers.

HOV/Bus/HOT Lanes Project

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is partnering with Fluor-Transurban in the development of high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane projects for Interstates 95/395 and the Capital Beltway/Interstate 495. The projects are designed to help alleviate congestion.

The I-95/395 project will expand the existing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-95/395 from two to three lanes and extend two new lanes south to Massaponax.

Two HOV/Bus/HOT lanes will be added in each direction between the Springfield Interchange and just north of the Dulles Toll Road as part of the Capital Beltway/I-495 project.

All of these lanes will become HOV/Bus/HOT lanes – meaning buses and carpools with three or more people can continue to use the lanes for free, while non-HOV motorists can choose to pay a toll and access the lanes as well.

The new I-95/395 lanes will be reversible, meaning traffic operations personnel will use them to move traffic into the region during peak in-bound commute times, and out of the region during out-bound peak periods, like the HOV lanes are used today. The Capital Beltway HOV/Bus/HOT lanes will not be reversible.