Police to target HOV violators Wednesday

Virginia State Police will be patrolling during Wednesday’s morning rush hour looking for drivers violating High Occupancy Vehicle restrictions on Interstates 95 and 395.

Officers will be on the look out for violators — single drivers who use the express lanes — from Dumfries to the Pentagon between 6 and 9 a.m.

Troopers will also patrol for drivers who wait on highway shoulders for the HOV restrictions to be lifted at 9 a.m.

In 2009, police in Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington counties and the City of Alexandria have issued 15,077 HOV violations. That number is up by more than 1,600 more over all last year, according to state police.

“This enforcement initiative is about compliance and safety, especially when it comes to vehicles parking in the shoulders of on-ramps,” stated Virginia State Police Capt. Tracy Russillo in a press release. “Such motorists are putting themselves at risk by illegally parking in such locations, but also other drivers trying to pass them or merge traffic.”
If convicted, HOV violators can pay between $125 and $1,000, according to police.

The lanes are restricted to cars and buses with three or more passengers in them, from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The lanes have been the center of controversy as Virginia transportation officials have been in talks with two private firms to privatize and convert the lanes into a toll road.

If converted, single drivers would be charged a variable toll based on how many cars were using the lanes at given time. Both companies have agreed to allow cars and buses with three or more to continue to use the lanes for free.

The lanes would also be extended from Dumfries to Massaponax, according to the plan.

Those plans hit a snag in late August when state transportation officials said Texas-based Fluor and Australia-based Transurban were having problems acquiring enough investor capital to start the project.

At the same time, Arlington County filed a lawsuit, which claims the federal government allowed the state a categorical exemption allowing the project to move forward without the proper environmental and public health impacts.

Fluor-Transurban is constructing 14 miles of HOT lanes on the Capital Beltway, from Springfield to Dulles Toll Road. Those lanes are not affected by the lawsuit.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.