I-66 Toll Prices Are Not Exorbitant

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(which should be accommodated and kept free-flowing) and the former SOV traffic had been HOV cheaters and those with outdated legal exemptions.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.