NORFOLK, Va. — Traffic is something everyone hates but never can seem to escape. Among one of the most congested areas in Hampton Roads is the I-64/I-264 Interchange between Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Two years and $18,500,000 dollars after VDOT created Express Lanes, or HOT lanes, on eight miles of Interstate 64 that sit between the areas of I-564 and the I-64/I-264 Interchange, 13News Now wanted to see if the project is a success.
The project began in January 2018 when VDOT implemented the Express Lanes which allow drivers to pay a toll in order to bypass traffic.
“What they’re really paying for is that increased reliability of the trip,” said VDOT Senior Communications Specialist Nina Napolitano. “So, what we’re seeing is that people who are choosing to enter the Express Lanes are getting from point A to point B faster.”
13News Now spoke with multiple drivers who said traffic around I-64 and I-264 is a nightmare.
“It’s making me really upset every day,” said driver Delphine On. “I have to wake up now super, super early to be on time, and then even sometimes it’s not even enough.”
“I’m a mom. I work. I have things to do, places to be, taking the kids to all their games and appointments with doctors and, I just don’t have time to wait,” said driver Diane Fine.
13News Now analyzed the data and found in Fiscal Year 2018, VDOT made $954,398.04 in revenue. In Fiscal Year 2019, VDOT made $1,968,770.41 in revenue. Both numbers are below the state consultant’s estimated revenue of $2,208,000 per year.
“The 64 Express Lanes have always been about smarter management of traffic, not about raising revenue,” said Napolitano. “So, by focusing on the discrepancy between projected revenues and revenues raised, it’s not really providing the most accurate information for how well the facility is performing.”
Napolitano said the purpose of the express lanes is to provide more options for solo drivers. In 2018, more than 2.2 million solo drivers paid the extra toll. From January to September 2019, 1.9 million drivers used the lanes.
“It’s not a failure at all,” said Napolitano. “What it was designed to do is give the solo drivers more choices, and it was designed to increase capacity of the traffic flowing through that region, and it is.”
Looking ahead, VDOT officials are considering a proposal to create toll lanes from Chesapeake to Newport News. 13News Now spoke with drivers who said they support the idea.
“Well, I’m in a hurry a lot of the time,” said Fine. “I don’t have time to sit in traffic. I think it’s worth it to me to get where I’m going faster.”
“If they want me to pay more so that I can avoid all this, please, I will do that so that I’m on time,” said On.
Looking for more about HOT lanes? Join us for 13News Now at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6.