Dan Genz, The Examiner
2008-01-25 08:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

Virginia transportation officials are hoping 3,750 additional commuter parking spaces along the Interstate 95 corridor will reduce concerns about the planned high-occupancy toll lanes wiping away Northern Virginia’s carpool culture.

The proposed high-occupancy vehicle lanes running from the Pentagon to Massaponax would be open to vehicles with at least three passengers and to commuter buses, and would generate millions of dollars annually from single commuters willing to pay a toll for quicker commutes.

The new plan would use $37 million of $298 million projected state revenue from the toll lanes to construct thousands of additional park-and-ride spaces for bus riders and so-called slug lines. Those spaces would be added to the 3,000 already included in the project, said Tanya Husick, project manager for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

Most commuters who regularly carpool with strangers at existing park-and-ride lots, so-called slugs —82 percent — said in a recent agency survey that they will try to continue their current practices with the new lanes.

But 71 percent said they are concerned the changes would threaten those commuting practices.

“What I think we’re seeing is that there is a big concern, but the reality of what people are planning to do does not match up with that concern,” Husick said.

Del. Paul Nichols, D-Woodbridge, who is trying in Richmond to block the HOT lanes, said he believes opposition to the lanes is widespread based on his twice-weekly campaign visits to park-and-ride lots in the fall.

“This was hundreds of people and everybody made it a point to make it known they are against them,” Nichols said.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com