![]() It would be very difficult if not impossible to widen from Ballston to the Roosevelt Bridge, with significant harm to people's homes and neighborhoods. Widening would require years of construction and traffic delays. This is really the best alternative for I-66 inside-the-Beltway. So Metro riders are already paying a similar fare. We looked at the estimated peak of the peak toll cost ($7 to $9) in comparison to parking and riding Metro in the corridor and it's comparable - $8.95 to park and ride from West Falls Church and $10.30 to park and ride from Vienna. It will keep the revenues in public hands so we can invest it in more transit in the corridor (more buses and more railcars), and it will move more people per hour in cars, carpools and transit. It will guarantee a peak hour speed of at least 45 mph and probably better, making the commute time more consistent and reliable. The VDOT proposal will improve conditions for everyone, providing a faster more reliable commute. Those hours stuck in traffic add up when you look at your salary on an hourly basis. They are failing to look at the bigger picture of how land use, technology, and transit, walking and biking can reduce the amount of driving for the short, medium and long-term.Ĭommuters are already paying a high cost in lost time with their families and on the job. But again, those pushing "congestion reduction" are just looking to expand highway lanes and are only looking at the short term. The internet has also become an important part of the solution, allowing for telework and on-line shopping. Every person who can live and/or work in a transit-oriented community can be part of the regional traffic solution because they either don't need to drive or will drive much less. As we've seen, demand for these communities is booming. Since expanded roads often open the way for more sprawling development and even longer commutes, my group and most local elected officials have sought to focus on reducing the amount we have to drive by creating mixed-use, walkable and transit-focused communities, expanding transit, and ensuring more homes are available closer to jobs. Congestion relief is still weighted at 45% for NOVA but other factors include improving access to jobs, better land use that reduces the amount of driving, improved safety and reducing air pollution. Yet, we know that "if you build it they will come." It's well documented that new highway lanes in metro areas can fill up in as little as five years due to "induced traffic." The VA General Assembly recognized that "congestion relief" was too simplistic and that we needed a range of solutions, hence the bi-partisan passage of House Bill 2 in 2014, which requires that we set priorities based upon a balance of factors. Actually, the highway lobby has sought to force a simplistic focus on "congestion relief" which they imply to mean road expansion. ![]()
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