I want my tax money back!!!

A couple of years ago, VDOT installed electronic message boards over several stretches of interstate in my area to alert drivers to traffic situations and other info. I thought it was a great idea especially since they had installed all of these traffic cameras along the interstates too. Hey, I should be able to skirt the worst traffic with all of these weapons at my ready.

WRONG!

First, the local traffic reports and VDOT's own radio channel report traffic situations about 30 minutes after the fact -- which doesn't help much when you're already sitting knee deep in it. So, the cameras were a waste of time because the reports aren't any better than they were 10 years ago.

But we have those wonderful message boards, right? Well, on some stretches, thy actually do post a message saying that the expected delay at the HRBT is 20-30 minutes (which is what it is every day). But I don't drive that way (Westbound 64) so I don't give a rat's ass.

Eastbound 64 has the message boards lit up but typically it just informs of when the HOV lane is restricted. I drive that way, depending on the time of day. But what I am curious about is the other tunnel that tends to back up (understatement!) The Downtown Tunnel on 264.

I begin my journey each morning by taking 664 South to the junction of 64 West and 264 East. 264 East is the shortest route to work distance-wise but can be the longer way time-wise, depending on the time of day and traffic accidents. The signs on 664 South and 264 East never mention what is going on at the Downtown Tunnel or on the Berkley Bridge, for that matter. They usually just feature a test message.

I got stuck in a big morass the other morning because: A. The traffic reports on the radio hadn't reported any problem yet, B. The electronic message board said "Test Message No. 8."

I was stuck and could not get out of this massive tie-up for nearly 30 minutes. It took nearly 15 minutes before traffic even moved at all. And I was in this crap for 10-15 minutes before the traffic report finally acknowledged that there was a problem! Even then, the length of the back-up was under-reported because it said that its was "slowed down at Frederick Boulevard" when in fact I was sitting at a dead stop before Frederick Boulevard and I could see in my rear-view that it was stopped way behind me.

After this particular episode, all I can say is give me my tax dollars back that paid for this ridiculous and useless system!!!! All the money that I paid into this could have gone toward the gallons of gas I have burned as a result of their ineptitude.

Sell those used message boards and cameras on eBay and send me the check.