WOODBRIDGE, Va. — There’s always a plethora of open parking spaces at the commuter lot at the intersection of Route 123 and Interstate 95.
It sits right on the highway and might make one think that using it would be a no-brainer. But that’s not the case, according to Potomac and Rappahannock Transporation spokeswoman Christine Rodrigo:
Each year PRTC performs a commuter lot usage count. Below are the observed counts for the I-95 and 123 Commuter Lot since 2007. (VDOT also does counts.) The greatest usage came after Potomac Mills reduced the number of spaces that allowed for commuter parking and prior to the opening of the Telegraph Road Commuter Lot.
Comparing utilization and location for this lot to others in I-95 corridor that are regularly over or very near capacity (Horner Road, Telegraph Road, Lake Ridge, 123 and Old Bridge, 234 and Route 1) you could come to the conclusion that the lot is simply not as convenient as the others.
To reach the lot from points south you either have to sit in the I-95 congestion that regularly begins at Dale Boulevard or deal with the lights and congestion along Route 1. Coming from the west you would pass the Lake Ridge and the 123 and Old Bridge commuter lots to get there. Additionally, the on/off ramps for the Express Lanes are not easily accessed from this commuter lot.
This convenience factor is evident in the lack of slugging activity that occurs at the lot. PRTC has attempted to encourage usage of the lot by routing several of our newest routes (Tysons OmniRide and Lake Ridge-Mark Center OmniRide) to serve the lot.
While it’s not ideal to have an underutilized commuter lot when others are over capacity, the lot does ensure a spot for those who travel later during the morning rush hours and provides needed capacity to absorb new services such as our Tysons and Lake Ridge-Mark Center routes.
2016 Update 253 2015 Update 199 2014 Update 262 2013 Update 480 2012 Update 342 2011 Update 292 2010 Update 334 2009 Update 133 2008 Update 125 2007 Update 134
