Are Commuters Getting a Faster Ride Now That Express Lanes are Open?

Are commuters from Northern Virginia getting a better ride, now that the Express Lanes are open?

The Express Lanes say they've got data that shows drivers are. Drivers even in the regular, non-Express lanes of I-95 north are moving between 6 minutes and 23 minutes faster than they were before the lanes opened. 

The Beltway sped up, too, according to the company that built and runs the Express Lanes. This new travel information was collected by a data center at the University of Maryland. [[303509901, C]]

Project leaders say even if you don't use those lanes, you are seeing a benefit because so many commuters are jumping onto the Express Lanes.

"You have a lot of drivers now shifting to that commute on the Express Lanes," said Mike McGurk of the contractor, Transurban. 
 
But not everyone feels that way.

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"I just don't think so," said commuter Larry Smith. "I look over there, and there's not a lot of people on the hot lanes."

Smith, from Dumfries, drives on both 95 and 495.

"I left this morning at 5:30 and it was terrible , at least coming up 95. It opened up when I got on 495," Smith said.

 
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