WASHINGTON – Buses may start using the shoulders of Interstate 66 next fall as part of a one-year pilot program to ease congestion.
The buses would run in five locations. (Click on the map to the right to see the actual locations.)
Kanti Srikanth, director of transportation planning for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said the aim is to save time in places where drivers experience congestion.
“I think it is a great opportunity to save critical minutes during the commute,” said Leonard “Bud” Siegel Jr., a VDOT engineer on the project.
While the buses would only go 25 mph, Siegel said they should still save time.
“What this enables us to do is to make the bus option, which carries more people, more reliable, safer and more attractive,” Siegel said.
Over the next 12 months, VDOT will reinforce the shoulders of I-66 and trim trees in preparation for the buses on the shoulder.
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WTOP’s Ari Ashe contributed to this story. Follow @ariasheWTOP, @WTOPTraffic and @WTOP on Twitter.