1,150 More Miles of Toll Roads in Metro Area? A TPB "Aspirational Scenario"

TPB's "aspiration" means HOT lanes, more pollution

by David Alpert • September 15, 2010 11:06 am

Today, the Transportation Planning Board will hear a plan scenario for a major expansion of highway lanes outside the Beltway, coupled with road pricing, BRT, and some concentration of development in "activity centers."

The plan scenario tries to bring evaluates the possibility of bringing road pricing, a controversial yet valuable idea, to the Washington region. Variably-priced lanes coupled with transit alternatives make roads work more efficiently while also giving people options to get around without driving or paying the tolls.

New Bus Rapid Transit would run on the new lanes and use special dedicated ramps to access stations, making them act somewhat like rail in that vehicles would make few stops and run between them fairly quickly. It would most resemble the Metro lines that are currently on or near freeways, since these stations would be close to the freeway and therefore more like park and ride lots with potential for development rather than serving commercial corridors as underground Metro lines do.

Unlike some early versions, it even includes options for pricing 500 miles of existing capacity in DC and on parkways instead of adding lanes. . .

But the plan scenario falls short in its largest component: 650 miles of new lanes on virtually every non-NPS freeway outside DC (emphasis added). . . .

. . . the title, "aspirations scenario," is TPB jargon for a scenario that goes beyond the standard Constrained Long-Range Plan, and doesn't necessarily represent a value judgment.

 Roads Identified with Possible Variably Priced Lanes (VPLs) (TPB "Aspirational Scenario")

OK, this is far from a "done deal;" it is a "scenario."   But you must really read the rest of Mr. Alpert's article on the Greater Greater Washington blog for a full understanding of the idea.

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UPDATE:  HERE IS A LINK TO THE TPB "ASPIRATIONAL SCENARIO" PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE FINAL REPORT FOR YOUR PERUSAL.  BOTH ARE LARGE FILES.