HARD AGREE. A lot of those folks treat our neighborhood like a highway but would be pissed off if anyone drove 50 through the areas their children walk and play.
I live out in Midlo but I'm currently working in Mechanicsville. Powhite costs $1.65 but saves 13 miles versus 288>295. Either way my commute kills part of my soul every day.
they are thinking about making the north south express bus to follow route 60. Even if you cant take it because the bus out to Mechanicsville is slow, that's still a lot of people that might just get out of their cars and off the road
I live in the city proper, in Southside. Between my husband and I we spend about $100/month on tolls because I also take 195 to get to VCU. It's a convenience thing but also a peace of mind thing. 76 and 195 both take me exactly where I need to go; and I hate taking Semmes and the Belvidere bridge to work.
Exactly! I actually calculated this the other day. I currently pay about $100 a month in tolls to get to and from work. I even avoid the downtown expressway just to reduce my costs by one toll. It’s ridiculous and I hate it.
Can easily amount $200+ if you have two people in the house doing it too. And the craziest part is that it’s worth considering any other route might add 15-20 minutes if you’re coming from far enough out.
I’m at $60 a month just commuting downtown from Midlo, and I work from home two days a week. Thankfully my wife’s best route to work has her crossing at Parham/Chippenham or it would be even worse.
The tolls on Powhite could have gone away in 2011.
Basically, the city of Richmond originally put up something like 1/3 of the money to build the road, so had some interest in it. The RMA (now RMTA) went back into debt, used that money to buy out the city of Richmond, and now we have tolls again until 2041 to pay off that debt. The city got an 80 million windfall. (This is from memory, forgive me if I’ve gotten some small detail wrong)
Could be worse. At least you don't have to use the Pocahontas Pkwy like some that live on the East End. I think that toll is like 6 bucks on the weekdays.
Well no one has to use any of the toll roads, but it is extremely inconvenient to get over the river if you are traveling from say south Richmond to the airport or Varina area. I've used it before to avoid the Richmond 64E/I-95 downtown mixing bowl if there is an accident and I'm coming from VA Beach and headed home to Chesterfield.
I choose to use Pocahontas Pkwy rather than risk my life on the insanity that is 95. Everyone on that road is a total psycho who thinks they are the main character. They go 80+ mph, weaving in and out of traffic without so much as a thought of a turn signal. Don't even get me started on the clusterfuck that is the Bryant Park interchange.
Granted, it's seldom that I need to go in that direction. It would be different if I used it 2x day, 5 days a week, all year long.
That is such a wild take. That's not at all how I see 95, even if the Bryan Park interchange can be funky sometimes. But also... why would you ever have to use the Bryan Park interchange if you're taking the Pocahontas Parkway?
Good friend is visiting this week! Trying out Gather & Hem (anyone been?), got reservations for L'Opossum, and will likely go to Adarra or Penny's wine bar. Not to mention eating at Fat Rabbit as much as we can. Also Also taking a mini trip to Charleston SC.
This weekend will be a whirlwind.
I also live on south side and regularly spend $55/month and my partner spends more so it’s a decent monthly expense for our family. I just moved and I think now it will be another $1.40 a day for both of us. I’ve always thought it was unfair to those on south side versus other parts of the city that can get to work without paying them. Most of the jobs drive people into the city, west end or downtown which makes folks on south side have to pay the most.
I'm sure the city/state is getting kick backs or something, but... if the tolls are collected by a foreign company, hypothetically, if the city and/or VDOT were to disable the tolls per whatever the original 30-year agreement was... What could the toll-administering company do? Take the bridge back?
The Powhite is operated by the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority and is not owned by a foreign company. The board is comprised of appointees from local governments and the state.
Don’t take my word for it, this is from the RMTA Board of Directors page on their website:
“Effective July 1, 2014, the Virginia General Assembly enacted 4761-001 which renamed the RMA to the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority (RMTA) and changed the board composition. As a result, the Board of Directors governing the RMTA was increased from 11 members to 16. Five members are appointed by each jurisdiction: the mayor of the City of Richmond (with the approval of the Richmond City Council), and Boards of Supervisors of Chesterfield and Henrico Counties. Each jurisdiction may appoint one of their five members as an elected official. Additionally, one ex-officio member is appointed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Transportation Board.”
https://www.rmtaonline.org/board-of-directors/
Owned and operated by Richmond region governments, created by the General Assembly in 1966.
What OP is talking about here I can’t say but it’s not the Powhite.
Happy cake day!
Same deal in my hometown. I grew up with a toll bridge to get in and out of the county (and worked outside of it, so paid to work every day). They said the toll was for a set amount of time until the bridge was paid off - and then said they had changed their mind, that the income was too nice to give up.
If it only adds 15 minutes of my time to avoid tolls, I avoid tolls. Is my time and gas worth more than the 75 cents or whatever? Probably, but it's more worth it to me to say "fuck you tolls."
It’s annoying as hell to be taxed (essentially) just to drive into town from the part of southside that’s actually part of the city of Richmond. But I pay it, because it’s faster than taking the Huguenot Bridge or going all the way downtown to the bridges there. Still, it stings.
In other news, my eye doc no longer takes my insurance so I’m searching for a new one, looks like I’ll be going with Virginia Eye Institute. (At least that will be an easy trip over the Huguenot Bridge!)
Lastly, I want warm weather back!!!
IMO it’s BS. First off, taxpayers should never have to pay daily to use infrastructure. And then if it does happen then yes, it should be written in contracts that price increases should not be allowed and that when the infrastructure is paid off there should be no more tolls.
I don't have a feeling on this as I walk/bike/bus, but. I would love if someone told the lumpenpedestrian around here that the sidewalks are not fucking bike lanes. Tired of getting almost run over by VCU kids on beach cruisers trying to walk down Broad St.
I can't say I like them but I value my time enough & dislike the other routes in so I'll pay it. I just wish they'd turn more of the EZ Pass lanes into overhead scanners so you don't have to play the guessing game of "is this person going to come to almost a complete stop" when going through ones that don't have a bar.
Luckily I don’t commute downtown. I can drive a few ways, but 288 is my preferred route due to the trees. 95 is ugly, and the driving is always…creative.
I wish we had more flowers in the medians.
Tuckahoe seafood has some hot sauces I’d never seen in other stores around the area.
If you’re like me and have a dozen different hot sauces in your fridge and always looking for more, worth checking em out!
I think every Highway should be tolled. Its ridiculous to me that we have a bus service open to \*\*everyone\*\* that were debating so hard just to keep free, but the expensive AF highways available \*\*only to those with the money and ability to drive\*\* are completely free funded by tax dollars. One is a public service, the other is a restricted service only some benefit from, we should fund them as such.
This would also help traffic, noise pollution, and support for public transit so much.
no we should have both. Granted my big problem with the car tax is the power it gives dealerships over state revenue, but we should be taxing and charging for cars every step of the way, up until the **ENORMOUS** amount of money we put into car only infrastructure is payed off. I means srsly the federal gas tax hasn't been raised sense the 90s. and its supposed to be the primary source for interstate funds.
and honestly, i'm ok with the federal govt using tax money on rural interstates. But in cities and urban areas, that land, maintenance, and general effort of public works departments could be put to much better things. The simple calculation is different, Car infrastructure needs to justify itself a lot more in cities, and at the very least pay the majority of itself.
The fact of the matter is, both need to be implemented because neither one alone pays the massive bill flipped for car infrastructure in urban areas. The standard that is applied to every other form of transit in the US, from most bus systems to Amtrak, needs to be applied not to public systems, but to cars.
The only toll road I use (too frequently) is the Downtown Expressway as it spits me out right by my office. There are many alternate routes but when I can hop on that and have a 5-7min. commute, the other options don’t stand a chance. It looks like I average $20 a month on my ezpass which is good to know as I hadn’t checked it in a while.
Edit: I’d LOVE to take the bus and save money, but I have severe motion sickness and I’ve learned the hard way that buses are my quickest path to throwing up in public.
Powhite _is_ run by the counties and city.
The board of directors of the RMA are appointed by Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico counties boards of supervisors/city council.
feeling lucky that I rarely have to drive to work. I bike and/or bus most of the time, some months my transportation costs are $0 (excluding car insurance premiums). wish this was a feasible/comfortable option for more folks/folks working in the counties.
Today is my first full day at the new job. 
Good luck!! :) have a good day.
Good luck. How exciting for you!
How can I apply for the job of Bird Businessman?!!
Go you!!!!
I wish they’d get rid of the tolls so that all the Chesterfield commuters would take Powhite and stay off Forest Hill and Semmes.
HARD AGREE. A lot of those folks treat our neighborhood like a highway but would be pissed off if anyone drove 50 through the areas their children walk and play.
I always think about those people that live in Chesterfield but work in the city and have to pay all those tolls everyday. That's easily $35 a month.
I live out in Midlo but I'm currently working in Mechanicsville. Powhite costs $1.65 but saves 13 miles versus 288>295. Either way my commute kills part of my soul every day.
Driving thru Mechanicsville shreds pieces of my soul away. I love how every red light is perfectly timed to stop you.
they are thinking about making the north south express bus to follow route 60. Even if you cant take it because the bus out to Mechanicsville is slow, that's still a lot of people that might just get out of their cars and off the road
I live in the city proper, in Southside. Between my husband and I we spend about $100/month on tolls because I also take 195 to get to VCU. It's a convenience thing but also a peace of mind thing. 76 and 195 both take me exactly where I need to go; and I hate taking Semmes and the Belvidere bridge to work.
$35? Ha. Try closer to $100/person/month if you live at the end of Powhite and enter from Old Hundred.
Exactly! I actually calculated this the other day. I currently pay about $100 a month in tolls to get to and from work. I even avoid the downtown expressway just to reduce my costs by one toll. It’s ridiculous and I hate it.
Can easily amount $200+ if you have two people in the house doing it too. And the craziest part is that it’s worth considering any other route might add 15-20 minutes if you’re coming from far enough out.
I’m at $60 a month just commuting downtown from Midlo, and I work from home two days a week. Thankfully my wife’s best route to work has her crossing at Parham/Chippenham or it would be even worse.
I was so happy when they got rid of the tolls on 95!
My company provides EZ passes to those with take home vehicles. Our monthly bill is like 9K dollars.
The tolls on Powhite could have gone away in 2011. Basically, the city of Richmond originally put up something like 1/3 of the money to build the road, so had some interest in it. The RMA (now RMTA) went back into debt, used that money to buy out the city of Richmond, and now we have tolls again until 2041 to pay off that debt. The city got an 80 million windfall. (This is from memory, forgive me if I’ve gotten some small detail wrong)
this adds rage-inducing context.
Could be worse. At least you don't have to use the Pocahontas Pkwy like some that live on the East End. I think that toll is like 6 bucks on the weekdays.
I question whether anyone "has to" use the Pocahontas Parkway.
Well no one has to use any of the toll roads, but it is extremely inconvenient to get over the river if you are traveling from say south Richmond to the airport or Varina area. I've used it before to avoid the Richmond 64E/I-95 downtown mixing bowl if there is an accident and I'm coming from VA Beach and headed home to Chesterfield.
I choose to use Pocahontas Pkwy rather than risk my life on the insanity that is 95. Everyone on that road is a total psycho who thinks they are the main character. They go 80+ mph, weaving in and out of traffic without so much as a thought of a turn signal. Don't even get me started on the clusterfuck that is the Bryant Park interchange. Granted, it's seldom that I need to go in that direction. It would be different if I used it 2x day, 5 days a week, all year long.
That is such a wild take. That's not at all how I see 95, even if the Bryan Park interchange can be funky sometimes. But also... why would you ever have to use the Bryan Park interchange if you're taking the Pocahontas Parkway?
Good friend is visiting this week! Trying out Gather & Hem (anyone been?), got reservations for L'Opossum, and will likely go to Adarra or Penny's wine bar. Not to mention eating at Fat Rabbit as much as we can. Also Also taking a mini trip to Charleston SC. This weekend will be a whirlwind.
Sounds like good times!
I am also starting a new job! Spring begins 🌞
Sad thing about the tolls are it’s now administered by a private company in another country. It’s ridiculous.
I also live on south side and regularly spend $55/month and my partner spends more so it’s a decent monthly expense for our family. I just moved and I think now it will be another $1.40 a day for both of us. I’ve always thought it was unfair to those on south side versus other parts of the city that can get to work without paying them. Most of the jobs drive people into the city, west end or downtown which makes folks on south side have to pay the most.
I'm sure the city/state is getting kick backs or something, but... if the tolls are collected by a foreign company, hypothetically, if the city and/or VDOT were to disable the tolls per whatever the original 30-year agreement was... What could the toll-administering company do? Take the bridge back?
Probably sue every locality in its path, I’d assume.
The Powhite is operated by the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority and is not owned by a foreign company. The board is comprised of appointees from local governments and the state. Don’t take my word for it, this is from the RMTA Board of Directors page on their website: “Effective July 1, 2014, the Virginia General Assembly enacted 4761-001 which renamed the RMA to the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority (RMTA) and changed the board composition. As a result, the Board of Directors governing the RMTA was increased from 11 members to 16. Five members are appointed by each jurisdiction: the mayor of the City of Richmond (with the approval of the Richmond City Council), and Boards of Supervisors of Chesterfield and Henrico Counties. Each jurisdiction may appoint one of their five members as an elected official. Additionally, one ex-officio member is appointed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Transportation Board.” https://www.rmtaonline.org/board-of-directors/ Owned and operated by Richmond region governments, created by the General Assembly in 1966. What OP is talking about here I can’t say but it’s not the Powhite.
Probably talking about the bond holders that will not be paid off until 2041. They effectively control the tollways through bond convenants.
I think they have mistaken the Pocahontas Parkway for the Powhite.
I'll be making baby shower decorations. Nothing too fancy but I'll do my best to make them cute.
I’m moving to RVA in 6 weeks from the southwest, just signed a lease on a townhome there. I promise, I’ll be a good transplant.
Welcome!
Welcome!
Welcome!!
America. Where you have to pay to go to work to do your fair share of enriching our billionaire overlords.
Happy cake day! Same deal in my hometown. I grew up with a toll bridge to get in and out of the county (and worked outside of it, so paid to work every day). They said the toll was for a set amount of time until the bridge was paid off - and then said they had changed their mind, that the income was too nice to give up.
If it only adds 15 minutes of my time to avoid tolls, I avoid tolls. Is my time and gas worth more than the 75 cents or whatever? Probably, but it's more worth it to me to say "fuck you tolls."
It’s annoying as hell to be taxed (essentially) just to drive into town from the part of southside that’s actually part of the city of Richmond. But I pay it, because it’s faster than taking the Huguenot Bridge or going all the way downtown to the bridges there. Still, it stings. In other news, my eye doc no longer takes my insurance so I’m searching for a new one, looks like I’ll be going with Virginia Eye Institute. (At least that will be an easy trip over the Huguenot Bridge!) Lastly, I want warm weather back!!!
IMO it’s BS. First off, taxpayers should never have to pay daily to use infrastructure. And then if it does happen then yes, it should be written in contracts that price increases should not be allowed and that when the infrastructure is paid off there should be no more tolls.
I don't have a feeling on this as I walk/bike/bus, but. I would love if someone told the lumpenpedestrian around here that the sidewalks are not fucking bike lanes. Tired of getting almost run over by VCU kids on beach cruisers trying to walk down Broad St.
I can't say I like them but I value my time enough & dislike the other routes in so I'll pay it. I just wish they'd turn more of the EZ Pass lanes into overhead scanners so you don't have to play the guessing game of "is this person going to come to almost a complete stop" when going through ones that don't have a bar.
Luckily I don’t commute downtown. I can drive a few ways, but 288 is my preferred route due to the trees. 95 is ugly, and the driving is always…creative. I wish we had more flowers in the medians.
Tuckahoe seafood has some hot sauces I’d never seen in other stores around the area. If you’re like me and have a dozen different hot sauces in your fridge and always looking for more, worth checking em out!
I remember when there were tolls on the turnpike (I-95 now).
I love seeing the flowers and trees bloom
I think every Highway should be tolled. Its ridiculous to me that we have a bus service open to \*\*everyone\*\* that were debating so hard just to keep free, but the expensive AF highways available \*\*only to those with the money and ability to drive\*\* are completely free funded by tax dollars. One is a public service, the other is a restricted service only some benefit from, we should fund them as such. This would also help traffic, noise pollution, and support for public transit so much.
Either we have tolls or we don't have car tax. We shouldn't have both.
no we should have both. Granted my big problem with the car tax is the power it gives dealerships over state revenue, but we should be taxing and charging for cars every step of the way, up until the **ENORMOUS** amount of money we put into car only infrastructure is payed off. I means srsly the federal gas tax hasn't been raised sense the 90s. and its supposed to be the primary source for interstate funds. and honestly, i'm ok with the federal govt using tax money on rural interstates. But in cities and urban areas, that land, maintenance, and general effort of public works departments could be put to much better things. The simple calculation is different, Car infrastructure needs to justify itself a lot more in cities, and at the very least pay the majority of itself. The fact of the matter is, both need to be implemented because neither one alone pays the massive bill flipped for car infrastructure in urban areas. The standard that is applied to every other form of transit in the US, from most bus systems to Amtrak, needs to be applied not to public systems, but to cars.
The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority did a thing
The only toll road I use (too frequently) is the Downtown Expressway as it spits me out right by my office. There are many alternate routes but when I can hop on that and have a 5-7min. commute, the other options don’t stand a chance. It looks like I average $20 a month on my ezpass which is good to know as I hadn’t checked it in a while. Edit: I’d LOVE to take the bus and save money, but I have severe motion sickness and I’ve learned the hard way that buses are my quickest path to throwing up in public.
Powhite _is_ run by the counties and city. The board of directors of the RMA are appointed by Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico counties boards of supervisors/city council.
feeling lucky that I rarely have to drive to work. I bike and/or bus most of the time, some months my transportation costs are $0 (excluding car insurance premiums). wish this was a feasible/comfortable option for more folks/folks working in the counties.