Prince William

If you’re driving the Capital Beltway from Springfield to Tysons Corner tomorrow, your commute is going to look much different.

The 495 Express Lanes — those High Occupancy Toll or HOT lanes we’ve been hearing about for so long —  opened for the first time on Saturday to traffic. That means those with three or more inside a vehicle can ride the lanes for free with an E-Z Pass Flex transponder. Single drivers must pay a toll to use the lanes, and can use a traditional E-Z Pass or E-Z Pass Flex.


Politics

I attended the latest in a series of fiscal year 2014 budget information meetings on Saturday at the Prince William County Government Center.

I always enjoy watching budget director Michelle Casiato’s mastery of the process. Prince William has three Triple A bond ratings and has won numerous awards for their budgeting process. I understand that the process is “bullet proof.” I also understand that the process has nothing to do with how much money Prince William County collects or what the government spends it on.