OPINION:
Has bad traffic ever made you show up late to a baseball game or dance recital? Miss the big work presentation? Come home after dinner is over and the dishes are done?
I think we can all confidently say: yes.
The obvious solution is more transportation choices — from commuter infrastructure and carpool incentives to public transit and bike and pedestrian options. But how governments and agencies go about improving mobility can make the difference between a transportation system that works, and one that does not.
Recent federal funding for transportation infrastructure has created a massive influx of cash in an oft-underfunded portion of states’ budgets. However, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding is set to expire soon — bringing the prospect of continued once-in-a-generation money into question shortly after federal elections.
Political jockeying aside, state governments have a huge opportunity to improve infrastructure without taxpayer dollars and mitigate risk: public-private partnerships (P3s). P3s bring funding and flexibility in meeting communities’ needs now and decades into the future, offering long-term solutions that not only build critical infrastructure but invest in communities.
Transurban, a global leader in road transportation solutions, introduced the first dynamically priced Express Lanes to the United States in 2012, with a trip price determined by distance traveled and congestion levels. Set in the median of the Capital Beltway near Washington, D.C., the 14-mile 495 Express Lanes implemented a travel choice that provided a faster, more reliable trip, all without the Commonwealth of Virginia having to spend hundreds of millions of dollars or undertake monumental risk.
Express Lanes quickly caught on as a popular travel option, expanding to include Lanes along I-95 and I-395 in under a decade. Now, the Express Lanes encompass nearly 60 miles of time-saving choices, improving mobility, connecting communities, and building more than $5 billion in critical infrastructure that Virginia can spend on other priorities and projects.
It is easy to see the benefits of life in the fast lane. Nearly 70% of D.C.-area drivers see the tolled option as a regional benefit, with more and more travelers choosing the Express Lanes for reasons beyond commuting that range from running errands and visiting loved ones to airport trips and family vacations.
The travel benefits extend beyond more road capacity. The Express Lanes offer a free ride for motorcycles and vehicles with 3 or more people in the car. Nearly half of passenger trips take advantage of this benefit, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion by decreasing the number of cars on the road.
That is not to mention the community impacts Transurban’s private investments have made in the region. Through construction employment, new transportation connections, and faster, more reliable trips, the Express Lanes have generated approximately $8 billion in economic growth and brought over 50,000 jobs to the region.
Transurban’s Community Grant programs show our commitment to the communities in which we serve and live. We specifically support local community projects, neighborhoods and nonprofit organizations with focuses on areas important to the Commonwealth. Our contribution of more than $2 million in grants to over 350 different organizations is making a difference.
As another benefit, our roads are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that are enabling the next generation of transportation. Transurban’s private investments are agile and take on risks the public sector cannot, helping the company explore innovative solutions for the challenges transportation infrastructure will face in the coming years.
Collecting more than 2,000 data points per mile, our on-road innovations and back-end systems are purpose-built for the future of self-driving cars and automated freight; intelligent safety and enforcement systems; and technologies that enable governments to establish new transportation funding streams, like mileage-based user fees.
The Express Lanes also contribute to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission’s Commuter Choice Program, with nearly $80 million contributed to date to transit projects throughout the 95/395 Express Lanes corridor. So far, the program has enabled 2.6 million sustainable, equitable passenger trips, translating to 35 million fewer vehicle miles traveled and reducing greenhouse gasses by 69% compared to single-occupancy trips.
Transurban’s construction projects encompass further environmental considerations. For example, on the 495 Northern Extension currently under construction, crews are incorporating local stream cleanup and first-time stormwater management along the Potomac River, helping maintain the coastline’s natural beauty while bringing infrastructure beyond the roadway on behalf of the Commonwealth. The project also enables multimodal transportation solutions, including funding a bus line and connecting local hike-and-bike trails.
Transurban’s Express Lanes are active proof that P3 projects can unlock mobility in new and creative ways. Beyond the road, Transurban has unlocked mobility solutions for the Northern Virginia region that reduce congestion, encourage carpooling, and enable strong public transit options. Governments now have a unique opportunity to partner with Transurban to meet not only transportation infrastructure needs, but also support surrounding communities both on and off the road.
• Beau Memory is president of Transurban North America.
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