The ICC: the Most Technologically Advanced Toll Highway in the U.S.
The Intercounty Connector (ICC) will be unique in that it is the only all-electronic toll road in the U.S that can collect tolls at highway speed. That’s right — there are absolutely no toll booths to collect money, so you don’t have to slow down to pay. The ICC will use the E-ZPass system, an electronic toll collection system. Many other U.S. toll roads already use E-ZPass nationwide, but drivers on those roads still have to slow down to about ten miles per hour or less for their E-ZPass to be read properly.
Can you imagine not dealing with the hassle of having long waits in traffic congestion to enter a toll highway? There is another all-electronic toll road collection system currently in place in western Canada, also the first of its kind.
How is electronic toll collection possible?
This high tech solution entails antennas “reading” the vehicle-mounted E-ZPass transponders and deducting the cost of the trip from the driver’s prepaid account. If the vehicle doesn’t have a transponder, cameras will take pictures of the vehicle’s license plate and the owner will receive a “Notice of Toll Due” in the mail along with a $3 surcharge.
The first stretch (7.2 miles) of the ICC will now open at 6AM Wednesday February 23. Until March 7, no tolls or surcharges will be collected. The remaining two stretches will open later this year and by spring of next year.
New E-ZPass offices are now open in Gaithersburg and Beltsville Maryland (MVA) for those who want to sign up. Toll prices have also been set, and they will vary depending on what time of day you pass through.
A word to the wise: you might want to stick to the speed limit as the E-ZPass antenna reads your transponder. If you zoom past at a higher speed than the posted speed limit, you could end up with a nasty speeding ticket. Happy driving!
Who Turned Out the Lights on Our Highways??
Is it just me, or have our highways gotten pretty dark lately? And I’m not just talking about the fact that, during this time of year, days are shorter because of Daylight Savings Time. I’m talking about the fact that someone apparently decided that highway drivers no longer need lighted streetlamps for early morning/evening commutes.
What’s going on?
I don’t have any proof really, but on a hunch, I’d say it’s an effect of The Great Recession. We already know that cash-strapped states and municipalities have been cutting expenses wherever they can. The result? No light on our highways — use your own headlights if you want to see where you’re going!
Desperate times call for desperate measures
While it’s true that desperate times call for desperate measures, what about traffic safety? What about being able to have decent visibility on those long stretches of road — especially in cases of emergency?
I understand that decision-makers are probably doing this to conserve because times are really bad. But when things get a little better, will someone please turn the lights back on?
Annoying Bumper Stickers and Window Tchotchkes Making Other Drivers Aggressive Towards You?
- Offensive bumper sticker
Thinking about driver aggression, there is something I’ve been really wondering about recently. Do other people’s bumper stickers, window tchotchkes, and rear mirror hangers make other drivers act aggressively towards each other? I think it’s a really fair question, given all the factions in modern society. 
Think about that political bumper sticker on the back of your car that screams your chosen political affiliation. Think of that religious trinket that you have dangling from your rear view mirror that shouts your devout religiosity (or lack thereof). Think of that all those stuffed thingamajigs that you’ve got sitting in your rear window that might be objectionable to others. Think of that rear license plate frame/surround that practically cheers for the undergraduate/graduate school you went to. 
These things can act as conduits of information about the driver that — I submit — may or may not make you a target for aggression by other drivers. Everybody has a favorite — and a “not-so-favorite.” At the very least, everybody has an opinion/generalization of people who make any of these associations. You could be making enemies on the road and not even realize it!
The reason why I brought this up is not long ago, I was wondering about who I could be personally offending with the stuff I’ve got on/inside my car. Not many drivers have probably even given this kind of thing much thought when choosing their bumper stickers, et al. But I thought I’d bring it to your attention for your feedback and thoughts. Just one of those things that make you go, “hmmmmm.”
Ever Got Stuck Behind a Metrobus Blocking the Right Lane?
Bus Bay
As I contemplated switching lanes to get from behind a bus about to stop during my morning commute, this thought came to me: why is it that buses always slow down the progress of traffic in the far right lane?
It’s almost like that lane is being held hostage temporarily — you can’t drive behind the bus without being paranoid that it will stop literally at any moment.
Since bus-only lanes aren’t always feasible, isn’t there a solution that would allow traffic in that lane to flow as freely as the other two lanes? The answer is yes — a bus bay would be an easy fix to this problem.
I’ve seen bus bays around the Washington, D.C. – Baltimore area, but why aren’t they used at every bus stop, considering this area is heavily congested with automobile traffic on a daily basis?
Not having them creates delays for those frustrated drivers who get stuck behind buses at bus stops only to watch the other two lanes whiz on by. A road rage inducer for sure.
Just wanted to share a quick thought…what do you think?
O’Malley’s Light Rail or Ehrlich’s Bus Rapid Transit: Which One is Better for Us?
O'Malley and Ehrlich Televised Debate 10/11/10
On one hand, you have O’Malley’s plans for light rail. On the other hand, you have Ehrlich’s bus rapid transit system. Which one do you think is better for Washington, D.C. metro area commuters?
As per usual, there are plenty of pros and cons on each side. Bus rapid transit would involve setting aside bus-only lanes (not sure if this means stealing existing lanes from automobile traffic or not) along portions of existing routes. The light rail would be built along an existing route and would not create additional traffic.
Baltimore Sun’s Michael Dresser says Ehrlich’s bus rapid transit system would be a little cheaper to build — estimates are $1.2 billion — as opposed to $1.68 billion for O’Malley’s light rail project. However, at an estimated $5.9 billion, the annual operating costs for buses quickly turn that positive on its head — light rail would only cost about half of that — an estimated $3.2 million annually.
Ehrlich — who is not opposed to not building anything at all — says the money is simply not there to build. Light rail proponents at Maryland Transit Authority disagree, saying that money could be made available soon through President Obama’s long-term transportation bill.
Developers, proponents of transit-oriented development, the Prince George’s County council, the Montgomery County council, and a host of area businesses like the idea of light rail because it has a permanency that rapid bus transit does not that would make it ideal for becoming hubs of future business activity, creating much-needed jobs in the area.
There are more pros and cons of both, but I’ll stop right here. Personally, I’m for O’Malley’s decision to go with light rail. It would be a shame to waste almost a decade of planning and the $40 million that MTA has already invested into deciding which way to go, only to implement the more expensive of the two — or even worse — nothing at all.
Do you have an opinion about this one way or another? Don’t be shy – I’m very interested in learning your thoughts.
Prejudiced Against SUVs?
Courtesy of Steven Johnson
When it comes to driving, I can admit to being prejudiced against SUVs (and minivans, too, for that matter) merging in my lane ahead of me because I drive a compact car. To others, this prejudice may seem like just a shallow opinion or preference. But to me, this is a safety concern.
My issue is that I can’t see around SUVs. In a compact car, driving behind one is like driving with a wall in front of you. Can you see through a wall? No, not unless you’re Superman! What makes this worse is that SUVs usually have tinted windows.
Driving behind large vehicles creates a visual impairment that severely limits my ability to make quick decisions should something bad happen on the highway ahead in my lane. For example, if there was a multiple car pileup ahead, I may not be able to see it in enough time to get out of harm’s way. I also wouldn’t be able to avoid running over/into that large thingamajig in the road that would give my little car a flat tire. And there have been many times when I had little to no notice to react because the SUV ahead of me suddenly changed lanes (without signaling) to avoid a turning car or stopped traffic in our lane.
I am an alert driver who prides herself in knowing who is around me at all times. That is how I was taught to drive. So I am not comfortable driving on the road if I have a huge blind spot directly in front of me.
My solution? Ultimately, that people would stop buying at least the mammoth-sized SUVs and purchase regular-sized automobiles. In the meantime, my modus operandi is to seek out a spot behind a vehicle I can see around and then change lanes. Unfortunately for me, sometimes this means changing lanes often because — ever since the blizzard of 1996 — the roadways are evermore crawling with these menacing behemoths.
P.S. – Another alternative would be to drive one of these nifty vehicles from the imagination of Steven Johnson — although I don’t foresee carmakers cranking out any of these for public use in the near future. Oh well!
How Come Drivers Don’t Use Their Turn Signals Anymore?
Why aren’t more people concerned with safety first?
Why is it that more and more, drivers don’t seem to think it’s important to signal their intent to turn or change lanes? Here’s my take: drivers don’t use their turn signals anymore because they are on the phone, they have become lazy, and because they are just plain selfish and inconsiderate of other drivers. That’s right, I said it, yes I did.
According to national car insurer Response Insurance, 57 percent of drivers admit they don’t use their turn signals. Of the drivers surveyed, here’s the breakdown:
- 42% of those drivers say they don’t have enough time
- 23% admit they are just plain “lazy”
- 17% don’t signal because when they do, they forget to turn it off
- 12% admit they are changing lanes too frequently to bother
- 11% say it is not important
- 8% say they don’t signal because other drivers don’t
- 7% say forgoing the signal “adds excitement to driving”
I am shocked and appalled! Almost half of the people surveyed who don’t signal say they don’t have the time. Don’t have the half a second to ensure a safe lane transition and/or turn?? Can you believe this?? My mouth dropped on the floor when I discovered these numbers.
When did safety become so…unwanted…not important…optional? I mean, really. Has the driving public become that careless? Apparently!
I have to admit, after I became a more experienced younger driver, I started getting lax about using my turn signals — until I started understanding the potential impact of not doing so. After I got into a small accident, I discovered that if I hadn’t used my signal, I could have been found at fault instantly.
The fact that I did signal my intent to change lanes saved me from automatically being declared at fault. Talk about a light bulb moment! I decided from then on that, as a safety measure and just plain the right thing to do, I need to use my signals every time I need to change lanes or make a turn.
Perhaps a public service announcement about the importance of doing this is in order? Do you think educating people on the importance of doing this would spur a change in thinking, and thus, behavior? Tell me what you think.
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