Northern Virginia drivers generally understand how toll roads work, but a monthslong study completed by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission recommends consistent signage to reduce confusion.
A survey of 917 drivers with NoVA E-ZPasses found that 72 percent said they don’t use NoVA’s more than 100 miles of toll roads because of the cost. Five different operators manage the toll roads. Costs range from $2 to more than $20, depending on how far you drive and how congested traffic is.
Another 7 percent said they didn’t understand the design and layout of the lanes that have limited entry and exit ramps and dynamic pricing. Another 5 percent said they lacked information on how to use them.
While most drivers understood that the higher dynamic prices occur when highways are congested, only 44 percent fully understood how to use High Occupancy Vehicle toll lanes. The requirement to have the transponder on the E-ZPass Flex switched to “HOV ON” was what drivers understood the least.
Static pictures of toll rates better helped NoVA drives understand what price the toll would be, compared to videos with the price approaching toll signs.
The report, presented to Virginia lawmakers earlier this month, found toll operators use different types of toll signs. Drivers in NoVA “may prefer signage that has been used in region for longer because they are more familiar with it,” the report said.
But while the Virginia Department of Transportation cannot make operators change current signs because of existing contracts, the report said that in future agreements, “VDOT should require toll operators to use signage that is consistent with signage already used, especially as part of the same road.”
Feature image courtesy Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
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