An examination of the "historical" toll prices for I-66 inside-the-Beltway, archived at [ https://vai66tolls.com/# ], shows that VDOT's 2015 estimate of $17 daily round-trip tolls was reasonably accurate, especially for the hours before the former HOV-2 restrictions.
Public
attention has largely focused on the high "peak of the peak" tolls, but
those high tolls occurred during the former HOV-2 hours (6:30 am-9:00
am eastbound and 4:00 pm-6:30 pm westbound), when most I-66 traffic had
formerly been carpools (which should be accommodated and kept
free-flowing) and the former SOV traffic had been HOV cheaters and those
with outdated legal exemptions.
Many
of those objecting to the high I-66 tolls cite concerns for those
commuters (often from the outer suburbs) who formerly drove solo on I-66
between 5:30 am and 6:30 am eastbound and between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
westbound to avoid the previous HOV restrictions. Tolling opponents
claim that carpooling is infeasible for many outer suburban I-66
commuters, slugging has been practically nonexistent, and viable bus
transit options often don't exist.
According to the archived toll prices at [ https://vai66tolls.com/#
], the toll prices last week for the full eastbound trip (Capital
Beltway to Washington DC) at 6:00 am and at 6:15 am were as follows:
Date Price at 6:00 AM Price at 6:15 AM
12/4 (M) $9.75 $12.75
12/5 (Tu) $7.00 $6.25
12/6 (W) $7.50 $7.50
12/7 (Th) $7.25 $6.50
12/8 (F) $7.00 $6.75
The
toll prices last week for a full westbound trip (Washington DC to the
Capital Beltway) at 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm were as follows:
Date Price at 3:30 PM Price at 4:00 PM
12/4 (M) $7.00 $6.25
12/5 (Tu) $7.00 $6.50
12/6 (W) $8.00 $6.75
12/7 (Th) $7.25 $6.50
12/8 (F) $6.75 $6.75
These prices, which may decline in the coming weeks as some solo I-66
drivers modify their route, travel time, or mode to avoid or reduce
their tolls, are comparable to the cost of parking at an outer Orange
Line station and taking Metrorail downtown, so few of these motorists
will switch to slower and less convenient Metrorail, especially if they
have free parking at work.
For those SOV commuters who wish to continue to drive alone and avoid all tolls, several nearby toll-free arterial highways remain available for the roughly 10-mile trip between the Capital Beltway and downtown Washington DC, including Routes 29, 50, 123, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Even at an average overall speed of 30 MPH (a common speed for I-66 before the tolling), a 10-mile trip on an alternative route should add only about 10 minutes to a commuter's travel time, compared to the free-flowing I-66. Moreover, as more I-66 commuters switch to ridersharing or transit or choose to now drive solo on I-66 and pay the toll, these alternative, toll-free routes should see less, not more, traffic.
For those SOV commuters who wish to continue to drive alone and avoid all tolls, several nearby toll-free arterial highways remain available for the roughly 10-mile trip between the Capital Beltway and downtown Washington DC, including Routes 29, 50, 123, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Even at an average overall speed of 30 MPH (a common speed for I-66 before the tolling), a 10-mile trip on an alternative route should add only about 10 minutes to a commuter's travel time, compared to the free-flowing I-66. Moreover, as more I-66 commuters switch to ridersharing or transit or choose to now drive solo on I-66 and pay the toll, these alternative, toll-free routes should see less, not more, traffic.
