Community Corner

Letter to the Editor: Speak Up on Toll Increases

Information for those who are opposed to toll increases on Rt. 267.

What happens when you complain to MWAA about Dulles Toll Road tolls? That depends on what you say and who you say it to. First, don’t be surprised when you go to a public hearing to find out you are being treated to a Dulles Rail, MWAA, Dulles Toll Road promotional presentation.

NoTOLLincrease.org will be there to give you an opportunity to send a personal video message to the Virginia legislators who are hiding behind MWAA.

Here are a few points you may want to make if you are opposed to toll increases.

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  • The Dulles Toll Road was supposed to charge tolls until it was paid for. Enough tolls were collected to pay for the road years ago, but those funds have been wasted. It's time to say quit making toll road commuters the cash cow for other projects.
  • Letting higher tolls force more cars onto local free roads (Rt. 7, Georgetown Pike, Rt. 28, and I-66) is not acceptable. Current toll avoidance estimates show 35,000-50,000 cars/day forced into our already-congested neighborhoods.
  • All this traffic will result in hours of time wasted in congestion. That's time we'd should be spending with our family and friends, or working to make ends meet.
  • The resulting congestion will have serious effect on our environment as these thousands of cars and truck are stuck in traffic, and belch pollution out into our neighborhoods.
  • Rt. 7, Georgetown Pike, and other local roads will see an increase in accidents and related  injuries, and probably lives lost due to this over-loading of already-busy roads.
  • Excessive toll rates on the Dulles Toll Road isolate the Herndon/Reston area and Loudoun County from the rest of the Washington, D.C. region, stifling the local economy.

We also recommend that you demand answers from your Virginia legislators.

  • Ask why Rt. 7 was left out of the Environmental Impact Traffic Study
  • Ask why they are standing on the sidelines as MWAA collects billions more in tolls than would be needed if Virginia was in charge
  • Ask what they are going to do about all the above.

Contact us for a bumper sticker today at: info@notollincrease.org or better yet pick one up at the hearing. 

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First public hearing:

  • Thursday, Sept. 6, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    Stone Bridge High School Cafeteria
    43100 Hay Road, Ashburn, VA 20147

    Additional upcoming public hearings:  
  • Wednesday, September 12, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    South Lakes High School Cafeteria
    11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston, VA 20191
  • Thursday, September 13, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    Spring Hill Elementary School
    8201 Lewinsville Road, McLean, VA 22102
  •  

    David LaRock
    Hamilton, VA 


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