95 Express Lanes operation still a mystery to many potential users Nothing humbles a guy who writes about traffic quite like this: You do column after column about some important development in transportation that's going to affect thousands of readers. Then you go out there on day one to experience it with them. All around, you notice the trick-driving moves that indicate just how many travelers had absolutely no idea what they were getting into. I'm afraid that's about to happen again. This time, it will be the first day of commuting on the 95 Express Lanes, in December. The people most likely to use this latest addition to the high-occupancy toll road system are Northern Virginia commuters in the Interstate 95 corridor south of the Capital Beltway. But it's not just about Virginians. Many off-peak and weekend travelers from the District and Maryland have used the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes that are now being converted to HOT. So it was discouraging to see a new survey showing that even the most likely users of the new lanes - the Northern Virginia carpoolers for whom I-95 is the workday lifeline - know relatively little about what they're in for starting next month. The survey conducted in October by the 95 Express Lanes found that only a third of carpoolers had the E-ZPass Flex transponders they will need to claim their free ride after the new lanes open. If the carpool drivers don't have E-ZPass Flex transponders mounted on their windshields, the overhead gantries in the express lanes will record images of the license plates, and the registered owners will be mailed bills. The bills assess the toll due and also add an administrative fee. The carpoolers still could travel free without an E-ZPass Flex, but they would have to switch to the regular lanes on I-95, already highly congested. The new I-95 lanes will be similar to the two-year-old 495 Express Lanes on the Capital Beltway in that all drivers will need some type of E-ZPass. According to the survey, only about half of the I-95 drivers knew that the 95 Express Lanes will be reversible, just like the HOV lanes. And 55 percent knew this all-electronic tolling system will replace the HOV system. Just before any type of transportation project opens, it's quite common to find that many potential users are unaware of the details. For example, many Metro riders were unaware that the Silver Line, which opened during the summer, would operate between Fairfax and Prince George's counties, rather than sticking to the new tracks in Fairfax. But the level of preparedness for the new express lanes is more troubling. Despite the two years of experience with HOT lanes on the Beltway, the system is still a novelty for drivers in the Washington region. Also, some aspects of the HOT lanes operation are more complicated than the traditional toll roads, which have set prices paid at toll plazas. An important example: Just north of the Beltway, the 95 Express Lanes will link up with the Interstate 395 HOV lanes, which continue on to the District line. But toll-paying drivers who don't meet the HOV3 requirements during peak periods will need to exit around Edsall Road or risk a ticket. This is the biggest highway project in the Washington region. In fact, it's one of the biggest projects in the nation. As a people-moving system, the 95 Express Lanes are going to have more impact than the five new Silver Line stations in Fairfax County. So I've been inviting travelers to submit questions about how the lanes will work. Please continue to do so. These will be the topics for frequent discussions both before and immediately after the lanes open.