Changes

HOT lanes differ from [[HOV lanes]], which are available only to car pools having a designated minimum number of passengers.  Car pools are allowed to use the HOT lanes without paying a toll, provided that the car is carrying a special [[RFID transponder]].  Unlike HOV lanes which are typically financed from gasoline tax revenues, HOT lane construction is financed from the toll revenues.

HOT lanes differ from [[HOV lanes]], which are available only to car pools having a designated minimum number of passengers.  Car pools are allowed to use the HOT lanes without paying a toll, provided that the car is carrying a special [[RFID transponder]].  Unlike HOV lanes which are typically financed from gasoline tax revenues, HOT lane construction is financed from the toll revenues.

==Toll collection==

==Toll collection==

Traditional toll roads required all users to stop and pay at a booth before continuing travel.  Modern toll roads use transponders and [[radio frequency identification]] (RFID) to keep track of usage. Each transponder is linked to a financial account which draws money from the user's credit card.  This highly-automated process can greatly reduce labor costs, but creates the possibility for misunderstanding and noncompliance.  The tolling points have both RFID antennas and video cameras.  When a vehicle drives under the toll gate, the transponder on the car sends an identifying number to the antennas.  If the antennas do not receive a signal, photos from the camera are automatically saved with the hope that a license plate number is visible.  To deter scofflaws, the drivers who do not have transponders are billed an amount greater than the otherwise applicable toll.  For example, in one case in Northern [[Virginia]], a drive used an HOT lane eleven times, which would have caused his account to be charged $11 in tolls. The driver had failed to properly set up auto-renewal on her account, so her transponder did not work.  She paid the $11 in tolls, but the private company running the HOT lanes sued her for over $10,000 in additional charges and penalites.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2014/05/nva-woman-owes-10000-over-11-worth-tolls|title=N.Va. woman owes $10,000 over $11 worth of tolls|work=pilotonline.com|date=May 28, 2014|accessdate=May 31, 2014}}</ref> Some HOT projects specify that if car pool usage exceeds a specified level, the government must pay the tolls for the excess car pools.

Traditional toll roads required all users to stop and pay at a booth before continuing travel.  Modern toll roads use transponders and [[radio frequency identification]] (RFID) to keep track of usage. Each transponder is linked to a financial account which draws money from the user's credit card.  This highly automated process can greatly reduce labor costs, but creates the possibility for misunderstanding and noncompliance.  The tolling points have both RFID antennas and video cameras.  When a vehicle drives under the toll gate, the transponder on the car sends an identifying number to the antennas.  If the antennas do not receive a signal, photos from the camera are automatically saved with the hope that a license plate number is visible.  To deter scofflaws, the drivers who do not have transponders are billed an amount greater than the otherwise applicable toll.  For example, in one case in Northern [[Virginia]], a drive used an HOT lane eleven times, which would have caused his account to be charged $11 in tolls. The driver had failed to properly set up auto-renewal on her account, so her transponder did not work.  She paid the $11 in tolls, but the private company running the HOT lanes sued her for over $10,000 in additional charges and penalites.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2014/05/nva-woman-owes-10000-over-11-worth-tolls|title=N.Va. woman owes $10,000 over $11 worth of tolls|work=pilotonline.com|date=May 28, 2014|accessdate=May 31, 2014}}</ref> Some HOT projects specify that if car pool usage exceeds a specified level, the government must pay the tolls for the excess car pools.

==Examples==

==Examples==