Transurban, the operator of the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia State Police on Nov. 27 announced the launch of the Fair Travel Program to educate high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) drivers who use the 495 and 95 Express Lanes on the proper use of E-ZPass and E-ZPass Flex transponders and HOV requirements. The program will include customer education and enhanced enforcement on the Express Lanes.
“We are committed to ensuring a fair, safe and reliable travel experience on the Express Lanes for our customers,” said Leigh Petschel, Vice President of Operations at Transurban. “Through the Fair Travel Program, we want to remind our customers of the HOV rules on the 495 and 95 Express Lanes, as well as offer tips on how to correctly use the E-ZPass Flex.”
The program will launch prior to the opening of VDOT’s I-66 inside the Beltway Express Lanes project, as a way of helping new E-ZPass customers familiarize themselves with the E-ZPass Flex and the differences from the standard E-ZPass transponder.
Enhanced enforcement of HOV violations is an additional component of the program because violators who falsely claim to be HOV on the Express Lanes can contribute to increasing toll prices for those drivers who do comply with HOV regulations and choose to pay to use the Express Lanes. Troopers issued 43 citations during a recent enforcement blitz initiative conducted in the Express Lanes.
