More than 155,000 customers took the lanes, with nearly one in four traveling for free at least once with an E-ZPass Flex set to HOV mode.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of 10th Anniversary of the opening of the Lanes in November. In commemoration, Transurban released the annual State of the Lanes polling research that provides insights on how customers continue to value the expanded travel choices of the Lanes as well as a report detailing the significant impact the 495, 95 and 395 Express Lanes have had in transforming the region.
The primary research from a sample of 1,490 Washington D.C. area drivers found:
- 76% overall customer satisfaction
- 3 in 4 GWA drivers have used the Express Lanes up from 62% in 2021
- Nearly 7 in 10 drivers (69%) see a regional benefit from the Express Lanes
- Drivers are more likely to say they have carpooled for free vs. paid a toll to travel the Lanes at least once a month in the last 6 months – 54% vs. 47%
Over the last decade, E-ZPass lanes on I-495, 95 and 395 have saved nearly 10 million Greater Washington Area customers more than 33 million hours of time in one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S.
The lanes have also bolstered the local economy by creating an estimated 53,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic activity including the growth of existing businesses and the attraction of some of the world’s largest employers, including Amazon, Boeing, Raytheon and Capital One.
“More than 10 years ago, we started a journey alongside Virginia leaders to introduce a new way to travel, putting technology to work to unlock congestion and tangibly improve the quality of life of travelers in this region,” said Pierce Coffee, president, Transurban North America. “Now we are celebrating this partnership that is giving more people more time back in their day through choice and convenience.”
