State Police/Stars/I-95

Status
Not open for further replies.

dic

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
464
Location
Weston, FL/Swampscott MA
Quick question:

I know that this question has been addressed in this forum, but:

I am going be to driving from Florida to New England in early August:

Is District 1 the only area to be on the new system?

Thanks

Dic
N1XBA
 

Towpro

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2005
Messages
263
Location
Gainesville, Va.
Yes, you are correct, Div. 1 only using that system at this time.

Have a safe trip, watch those bad No. Va. drivers..... lol
 

dic

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
464
Location
Weston, FL/Swampscott MA
Perhaps I should mention I am originally from Boston, and learned to drive there.
I grew up with the worst roads and the worst drivers!

(Although I must say, next to Los Angeles, the worst traffic I have ever seen in the country is on the Beltway).

Dic
N1XBA
 

kc4jgc

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
Dic,
You'll find that as you approach the beltway northbound on I-95 that the ramp for 95/495 outer loop (toward the Wilson Bridge) is now on the LEFT lanes. Signs announce this 5 miles before the interchange. Don't get caught on the right lane at the last minute.
 

dic

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
464
Location
Weston, FL/Swampscott MA
Thanks Steve for the heads up.

Strange you should mention that area.
I HATE that merge!
Especially from the Beltway south to I 95 south.

Dic
NiXBA
 

kc4jgc

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
There is a flyover ramp from the inner loop left lanes to 95 south as well. Much smoother transition (except during the pm rush when it's still stacked up). Things are improving slowly but surely. Also all traffic on the Wilson Bridge is on the new outer loop bridge.

Enjoy the trip!

Check out this site: www.wilsonbridge.com

also this: www.springfieldinterchange.com
 
Last edited:

dic

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
464
Location
Weston, FL/Swampscott MA
Thanks Steve

I had no idea that the damn interchange has its own WEBPAGE!
I hate the Maryland/East side of the Beltway, so I ususally go west Beltway to get North.

Thank you again

Dic
 

dic

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
464
Location
Weston, FL/Swampscott MA
Hey Steve, while I have you here:
What is the story with the new Aircraft Enforcement signs I saw on my last trip through?
I also noticed a bunch of 1/4 mile zones on the highway.

Are the VSP using aircraft enforcement or is it (like many other states) just a bluff?
Anyone heard any action anywhere?

Dic
N1XBA
 

richrowl

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
264
Location
Chesterfield Co Virginia
Vascar

What is the story with the new Aircraft Enforcement signs I saw on my last trip through?
I also noticed a bunch of 1/4 mile zones on the highway.

Are the VSP using aircraft enforcement or is it (like many other states) just a bluff?
Anyone heard any action anywhere?

Dic
N1XBA[/QUOTE]

The action is on 154.695 for the VASCAR bear in the air, it is no bluff. The next large enforcement dates are Aug 18-19 and Sep 7-8 for Interstates 81 and 95.

VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer and Recorder) is really a stopwatch coupled with a calculator. Once a distance is entered, the operator pushes a button to start then stop the stopwatch. VASCAR displays the speed calculated from the distance entered and the time measured.
 

kc4jgc

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
dic said:
Thanks Steve

I had no idea that the damn interchange has its own WEBPAGE!
I hate the Maryland/East side of the Beltway, so I ususally go west Beltway to get North.

Thank you again

Dic

Glad to help. As you probably saw, the sites I listed deals mainly with the contruction projects, especially lane/ramp closings, detours, etc. The beltway from the Springfield "mixing bowl" east to Indian Head Hwy in MD is all part of an 11 year expansion project which is 2-3 years from completion. The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge has recently opened the outer loop span to both directions. When this is complete, both outer loop and inner loop spans will have 8 lanes plus 2 lanes (the far left lane each way) reserved for mass transit. I cannot wait as I drive a big rig across there at least twice a week!

BTW, if you're going around the inner loop via Tysons Corner, stay in the right lane of 95 as you approach the bowl. The same ramp is still in use for now. Be careful, it's still a work zone there.

Back to the radio nature of this board, be sure to listen to WTOP-FM (103.5); this station provides traffic updates every 10 minutes on the 8's 24 hours a day. It can be picked up from Fredericksburg to Baltimore.
 

kc4jgc

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
richrowl said:
The action is on 154.695 for the VASCAR bear in the air, it is no bluff. The next large enforcement dates are Aug 18-19 and Sep 7-8 for Interstates 81 and 95.

Just curious, are you a trooper? If not, how did you come across this info. Not that I have anything to worry about as I try to stay close to the speed limit....
 

gcgrotz

Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Messages
2,092
Location
Savannah, GA
154.695 is a simplex TAC channel the VSP has used for a long time. Sometimes referred to as survelli... I can't spell it. The other car to car channel is 154.665 usually used for stuff like "I'm down at the exit, meet me on the ramp" If you monitor those 2 long enough you hear all kinds of things.
 

Samuel

Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
440
Location
Prince William, Virginia
Just FYI about the channel names for the car-to-car simplex frequencies:
154.665 is "TAC"
154.695 is "Surveillance"

As was said the VASCAR operations generally are on Surveillance.
 
Last edited:

richrowl

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
264
Location
Chesterfield Co Virginia
VASCAR info

The action is on 154.695 for the VASCAR bear in the air, it is no bluff. The next large enforcement dates are Aug 18-19 and Sep 7-8 for Interstates 81 and 95.

Just curious, are you a trooper? If not, how did you come across this info. Not that I have anything to worry about as I try to stay close to the speed limit....
__________________
Steve KC4JGC

The frequencies are common knowledge, the dates are published in the newspaper and include the entire distance of I-81 and I-95 thru the state.
 

dic

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Messages
464
Location
Weston, FL/Swampscott MA
Steve, Rich, Samuel, Gcgrotz,

Thanks for everything.
Good to know what is happening.
I rarely obey the speed limit.
:)

As a commercial pilot often flying in the State of New Hampshire (one of the only states up north to use a SIGNIFICANT amount of aircaft enforcement) I have had the opportunity to observe the State Police in action.
NHSP use a Kustom Skytimer (pretty much the same as VASCAR) in a Cessna 182.
The number of troopers on the ground is fairly limited.The only way to avoid a ticket from the air was to monitor the dedicated aircraft channel.

That is why I asked which channel they use for communication. Ususally the communications are simplex. low power.
The great thing is that the aircraft is above you, you can always hear the plane LONG before you come into the enforcement area.

And the zones couldn't be much better marked.
I will try to observe as much as I can on 95 when driving home.

Might any of you be able to check out the tactics of the upcoming actions?

How many vehicles? Types? Motorcycles?
How located: inner lane, outer lane, on ramp off ramp? North/south or alternating?
Times? (Morning, afternoon).
Minimum speed to be stopped? Maximum speed?
Times between stops?
ID numbers of troopers? (In NH they have dedicated troopers to the detail. In Florida they use anyone in the troop. So if you heard certain IDs in NH you might know something was up).

Thanks

Dic
 

gcgrotz

Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Messages
2,092
Location
Savannah, GA
Samuel said:
Just FYI about the channel names for the car-to-car simplex frequencies:
154.665 is "TAC"
154.695 is "Surveillance"

That's the word I was trying to spell!

If I remember correctly, I first saw those terms used in the old Gene Hughes' "Police Call" books, probably 20 or 25 years ago. They have been in my STATE bank in every scanner I've ever owned.
 

fmon

Silent Key Jan. 14, 2012
Joined
May 11, 2002
Messages
7,741
Location
Eclipse, Virginia
gcgrotz said:
If I remember correctly, I first saw those terms used in the old Gene Hughes' "Police Call" books, probably 20 or 25 years ago. They have been in my STATE bank in every scanner I've ever owned.
I've heard VSPD on 154.695 working surveillance in Newport News and Portsmouth, always drug ops.
 

billsblots

Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2003
Messages
97
dic said:
Quick question:

I know that this question has been addressed in this forum, but:

I am going be to driving from Florida to New England in early August:

Is District 1 the only area to be on the new system?

If what I hear is correct, the STARS system has had trouble with the control heads, inadequate VHF frequencies, and the Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) interfering and overriding voice ops, including once while a trooper was in pursuit.

STARS has suspended installations of the trunking equipment in additional state agency vehicles until this is resolved.

I am not sure that they are operating on STARS or gone back exclusively to the analog system for dispatch operations.

Since you may be traveling this week this is the most up-to-date information I've been told by STARS and State Police personnel.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top