Monday, June 21, 2004
Don't Take I-895 in Richmond
I heard today that they were raising the tolls on I-895 in Richmond from $1.50 to $2.00 effective 2004 July 1. This toll is expensive enough as it stands now. The $1.50 toll is the reason why the traffic has been so thin on it. People continue to take I-295 or I-95 to get to the airport. Now they are increasing the tolls? That will drive more people away. No. That is not the way to increase traffic on the road. The way is to cut tolls, increasing traffic to make up for the cut. The highway department maintains instead that every 25 cent increase in the toll costs 5 percent of the traffic. But that still yields a profit: $1.75 * 0.95 = $1.66, which is greater than $1.50.
I think we can do something about this. People should simply resolve to use I-895 less. Don't take I-895. Take the other ways to Norfolk and Richmond Airport. How much of a cut will hurt? Since this is a 4/3 raise (or 33%), a cutback of 3/2 will cost them 11 cents on each dollar. So every third time that I want to use I-895, I won't, and I will use another route instead. I know that at times I-895 is quicker and the views are spectacular, but this is how we get the tolls lowered or eliminated. Don't use I-895, or at least, reduce your use of I-895 by at least one-third. Maybe they will listen and will cut the tolls instead.
I think we can do something about this. People should simply resolve to use I-895 less. Don't take I-895. Take the other ways to Norfolk and Richmond Airport. How much of a cut will hurt? Since this is a 4/3 raise (or 33%), a cutback of 3/2 will cost them 11 cents on each dollar. So every third time that I want to use I-895, I won't, and I will use another route instead. I know that at times I-895 is quicker and the views are spectacular, but this is how we get the tolls lowered or eliminated. Don't use I-895, or at least, reduce your use of I-895 by at least one-third. Maybe they will listen and will cut the tolls instead.
