Steve Burns
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON – (WMAL) If you’ve been skirting the system on Virginia’s Express Lanes, officials want you to know your time as a lawbreaker may be running short. More cops, cameras, and technology will be helping to cut down on Express Lane cheaters, just ahead of tolls going live on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway.

“We’ve actually recently stepped up the number of troopers that are on the road, and making sure they have the resources and the ability, especially during the rush hour periods, to focus on those people that maybe misusing the EZ-Pass Flex,” Transurban spokesman Mike McGurk told WMAL.

While Transurban will not be running the I-66 tolls (the Virginia Department of Transportation is administering them), McGurk said there is a renewed effort focused on enforcement across the region’s HOV lanes.

“The number of cars on the road is what effects the toll price. So if there are folks out there not following the rules and misusing the EZ Pass Flex, they could be driving up the cost of the toll for the drivers that are following the rules and doing the right thing,” he said.

More troopers, combined with the Express Lanes’ camera system, McGurk said, are combining to reduce the number of rule-breakers.

“If you’re someone that thinks you’re going to be clever and game the system, and quickly switch your EZ Pass Flex back to the other mode, troopers will now have additional technology they can use to try to find that out,” he said.

Tolls are expected to go into effect next week on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway during rush hours. Cars with two or more people inside will ride free. Three or more are still needed on the 95 and Beltway Express Lanes for a free ride.

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