Escape That Traffic Jam -- for a Fee

Peter Samuel writes an online newsletter about the toll-highway business. But he's far from a dispassionate observer when it comes to HOT (high-occupancy toll) lanes, a spreading innovation that provides commuters with an escape valve from urban traffic jams — for a hefty fee.

Traffic authorities are likely to install HOT lanes on I-270 north of Washington, D.C., all the way out to the exit at suburban Frederick, Maryland, where Samuel lives. "I'd like to dash down there and pay $3 or $4 as a toll and get a guaranteed easy ride to appointments in D.C.," said Samuel, editor of ... Back to article