Interstate 66 High Occupancy Vehicle Rules Set To Change

NORTHERN VIRGINIA — Drivers carpooling to use I-66 toll lanes for free should be sure to add one more person in the car as high occupancy vehicle rules change Monday.

Until Monday, Dec. 5, vehicles on I-66 toll lanes need two or more people in the car to travel the lanes for free. Three or more people in the car will be the new standard starting Monday, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Carpooling vehicles with three or more people can avoid the toll with an EZ Pass Flex turned on to HOV mode.

The change applies to I-66 inside the Capital Beltway during tolling hours as well as the new I-66 Express Lanes outside the Beltway. I-66 inside the Beltway tolling hours are 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eastbound and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. westbound from Monday to Friday. I-66 regular outside the Beltway do not require a toll at any time. Toll lanes are free for motorcycles.

The HOV change also applies to the HOV lane beyond the Express Lanes between Haymarket and Gainesville.

According to VDOT, the HOV-3 rule had been planned for years "to move more people in the I-66 corridor." The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the HOV designation change in July 2016. The HOV-3 designation matches other Express Lanes in Northern Virginia — the I-95, 395 and 495 Express Lanes.

One option for carpooling comes with an incentive. VDOT and the Commuter Connections program are offering an incentive up to $130 per person for new HOV-3 carpools in the I-66 corridor. The incentive will be paid to drivers and passengers after three months after carpooling begins.

SEE ALSO: I-66 Express Lanes Open Ahead Of Schedule In Northern Virginia