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HOT lanes review ahead
Next step for HOT lanes
Date published: 8/5/2007
By KELLY HANNON Virginia will take the next step toward building express toll lanes on Interstate 95 in late 2008 and late 2009, if it chooses to sign agreements laying out final details. These two comprehensive agreements will address the 56-mile public-private high occupancy toll lane project that will run from Eads Street near the Pentagon to Massaponax in Spotsylvania County. The agreements will be signed a year apart because of a federally required environmental review, said Jeff Caldwell, the Virginia Department of Transportation's chief of communications. A review of the project's northern half--from Washington to Dumfries, with a one-lane extension into North Stafford--will conclude next year. "The division that's in there, between the northern section and southern section, is about the environmental review. The project is very much one project," Caldwell said. Questions about the division came up at two recent HOT-lane public meetings in the Fredericksburg area. About 50 residents, commuters and area legislators attended each meeting--one in Stafford County and the other in Spotsylvania. Some people were curious about the lanes, others wanted details about logistics and toll prices. One questioner asked about the comprehensive agreement, and whether it could guarantee the southern section would be built. Robert H. Wilson, executive director of the region's planning agency, the George Washington Regional Commission, said officials want both segments addressed in one agreement. "They have to be looked at holistically," Wilson said. Commuters at the meetings focused less on the agreements and more on how the lanes can help them. Sonny Sundaramurthy of Caroline County drives 80 miles each way to his military job in Washington. He picks up slugs to use high occupancy vehicle lanes. And he thinks tolls will encourage, not discourage, carpooling. Ruth Carlone of Stafford wants to build train tracks along I-95 instead of laying more asphalt. "I think we're missing the boat on not having surface or light rail," Carlone said. Thomas Long, a Spotsylvania resident who drives 56 miles to work each day, alone, likes the idea of extending HOV lanes south of Dumfries, where they currently stop. Long enjoys using the lanes at off-hours. But why tolls? Why can't the state pay for them to be free? Long asked.
Date published: 8/5/2007
Anti-HOT Lanes Online Petition
(posted by
spidermonkey
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
This will ruin transportation in Northern Virginia forever.
Please join the bandwagon and express your support of the initiative to try and stop HOT lanes from ever becoming a reality. Your voice is needed!
Please sign the following petition, and also get others involved to sign as well. This is a very easy way to voice your disapproval before VDOT jams this down NoVa residents throats and forever ruins our transportation options.
http://www.petitiononline.com/NOTsoHOT/petition.html
Thanks!!!
this is a joke
(posted by
1eviltwin
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
they charge these civil fees for "road projects" but then want to have a toll road done by a private company and have residents pay...we pay taxes we pay civil fees if we get pulled over and now they want us to pay tolls..i mean come on VA what are the people in the state goverment really doing for us..its time to look into relocating out of VA..
Rail is already there and solves more issues
(posted by
toadrana
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
Let's fix VRE
Maybe even make it free
Lots more parking spaces
More get-on times and get-on places
Less cars, less gas, no tolls for me!
This idea is being pushed as a honey
by folks looking to make more money.
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