Posted on 10/08/2009 8:20:29 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Prince William County decided not to join Arlington County in its lawsuit against high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstates 95 and 395, citing what it characterizes as race-baiting and class warfare in the suit.
The county considered joining the suit because it shared concerns about the HOT lanes’ proceeding without a proper environmental study and their effect on traffic, but Board Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At large, said the board unanimously agreed Arlington’s suit raised too many concerns.
“The board had a closer look at the suit and there are allegations in there about Pierce Homer, the secretary of transportation, and about the citizens of Stafford and Spotsylvania counties that are unfounded, unfair and, frankly, repugnant to use,” he said.
The HOT lanes would run on 56 miles of the Interstate 95/395 corridor from the Pentagon to Massaponax in Spotsylvania County. The lanes, to be built by Texas-based Fluor Corp. and Australia-based Transurban, would expand existing high-occupancy vehicle lanes on I-95 and I-395 from two to three lanes.
HOT lanes include electronic tolling rates that change with traffic volume. They are free for mass transit and car pools of three or more people; single drivers or vehicles that don’t meet high-occupancy requirements pay tolls.
In Arlington’s 74-page suit, filed Aug. 19 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the county says the lanes unfairly allow wealthier drivers to pay higher tolls and asserts that state and federal agencies did not meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act or the Clean Air Act before proceeding with project plans.
Arlington alleges that the defendants — which include Homer, secretary of the Virginia Department of Transportation; Ray LaHood, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation; and Victor Mendez, the federal highway administrator — “seek through the deceptive misnomer of ‘HOT’ lanes to invidiously and deliberately support, encourage and enable a financially-able, privileged class of suburban and rural, primarily Caucasian residents from Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, operating single-occupancy vehicles, unimpeded access on toll lanes.”
Stewart said Prince William may file its own lawsuit.
“We simply can’t join a lawsuit as a plaintiff that makes those allegations about racism, about the citizens of Stafford and Spotsylvania counties or about the transportation officials.”
Arlington County Board Chairwoman Barbara Favola said the county’s attorneys addressed every criteria in the National Environmental Policy Act, including one on social and economic justice.
“That’s the only reason this racial element even entered the case,” the Democrat said. “It is not the reason elected officials in Arlington decided to file the case.”
Stewart noted that two and a half years ago, Prince William voted against the HOT lanes while Arlington did not.
“If we had received their support back then, the HOT lanes would be dead. But they voted with Fairfax in favor of them, so they are latecomers to this game. I don’t know why they didn’t oppose it from the beginning,” he said.
Stewart also said Prince William would take its grievances with the project to the new governor in January.
Prince William’s main concerns center on congestion and the creation of three lanes within the highway’s two-lane footprint and the impact the added lane will have on a bottleneck near the 14th Street Bridge.
The HOT lanes project is currently on hold due to funding issues. Construction was supposed to start next summer.
HOT lanes racist? No.
Lousy idea? Yes!
PING!
HOT lanes are beyond stupid. Perhaps Virginia might want to consider actually widening 95 or working with Maryland to build a real bypass around DC.
I agree. The whole highway should be congestion-priced...that is, if people want to actually get somewhere during rush hour in a short amount of time.
Arlington County Head Up the Butt Alert!!
I moved here a few years ago from Montgomery County, and I’ve been learning ever since that I merely went from Commie China to Cuba.
Years ago Arlington County opposed I-66, and came up with lame excuses about congestion and local traffic, and demanded only two lanes on I-66, which, of course, has led to more congestion throughout the I-66 / Rte 28 corridor. Ever wondered why Rte 66 narrows? Idiot leadership in Arlington, that’s why.
Now this crap about racism and HOT lanes. Firstly, these are the fools who wanted Priuses to have full access to HOV3 lanes, which is a travesty and nothing but rent-seeking for the self-righteous.
A few months ago Arlington actually tried to argue that the HOT lanes would lead to more pollution by allowing for more traffic. Not its racism.
Nah: it’s stupidity, plain. I call the idiots weekly to remnind them. Too bad my wife needs to live in this place, b/c, really, Montgomery County looks like heaven compared to these fools who have squatted on the old Custis property.
The Arlington Board has the most communist members of any institution in the area, except for maybe the White House and Capitol Hill.
“...addressed every criteria in the National Environmental Policy Act, including one on social and economic justice.”
The fact that such criteria exist is scary.
The Arlington County Council is right up there in Socialist spirit with those of the People’s Republic Of Cambridge Mass. and Berserkeley Calif.
>>> Years ago Arlington County opposed I-66 ... only two lanes on I-66, ... more congestion throughout the I-66 / Rte 28 corridor. <<<<<
It just occurred to me that you are correct, I’d never thought of it before.
The third lane disappears (or starts) at Washington Street/East Falls Church, which is almost precisely the western border of Arlington County.
I also vaguely recall a discussion about widening I-66 in Arlington County somewhere in 2000 to 2005, which was quickly shouted down.
I noticed the same thing when I lived up there in the late ‘80s. Of course, their solution to I-66 being wholly inadequate inside the Beltway was just to make the ENTIRE DAMN THING an HOV lane during rush hour. Funny how it was OK back then, but HOT lanes aren’t OK now.
My guess is that there’s something more to this than “social justice”...methinks the Arlington County board didn’t get enough kickbacks or spending on pet projects or something.
}:-)4
yeah, Arlington’s attitude towards traffic is and has been so self-defeating. They allow insane multi-unit building and then restrict traffic flow at every chance. The Bush admin tried to fix the I-66 problem, and I somehow remember — not sure — that the HOT lanes deal included leaving I66 at two lanes.
The original idea of limited lanes on I66 was to protect neighborhoods — that are now overun by commuters trying to get around I66 traffic.... Dummasses all around.
Truly, MC has a more enlightened attitude towards traffic and traffic enforcement (despite the foot-dragging on the ICC, MC took to the interstates and the beltway far better than other jurisdictions in/around DC.). I HATE VA traffic enforcement. They’ve built a police culture of seeing drivers as the enemy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.