Top 16: Tornado Hits, Smithsonian Fraud, School Rankings, Dulles Tolls and Mark Wahlberg

Top news of the week from our Patches around Virginia and DC.

  Patch has 31 community sites in Virginia and D.C. Here are some of the top stories from around the region over the past week.  16. Mark Wahlberg Visits: Actor Mark Wahlberg visited T.C. Williams High School on Wednesday morning for an assembly presented by Get Schooled, a nonprofit that aims to engage high school students in an effort to improve graduation rates and empower more students to achieve in college. “I had to work really hard to get where I’m at,” Wahlberg said. “And I don’t mind working really hard to try and maintain it." 15. Runner Pledges 30 Races: Arlington resident Lauren Bailey is halfway through a personal challenge that has been daunting and exhilarating — running 30 races in one year, the year of her 30th birthday. …

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MWAA Chooses a Frontrunner for Phase 2 of Silver Line

Capital Rail Constructors showed lowest bid for Silver Line construction.

  The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) on Thursday issued a Notice of Recommended Award to Capital Rail Constructors for the major design-build portion of the Silver Line Phase 2 rail to Dulles. Capital Rail Constructors is comprised of Clark Construction Group and Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. The recommendation recognizes CRC as the low-price proposer for the contract, but does not constitute a final award of the contract, MWAA said in a statement. The announcement follows an MWAA review of Capital Rail Constructors’ $1,177,777,000 proposal, which was determined to meet all necessary requirements, MWAA said. Capital Rail Constructors’ price proposal was the lowest of the five read by the Airports Authority at a public …

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Fairfax County Could Sell Air Rights to Fight Tolls

With tolls projected to increase, officials are looking into air rights sales.

Fairfax County is exploring how selling air rights could help reduce tolls on the Dulles Toll Road that are expected to shoot up with Phase II Silver Line construction. Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) asked staff last week to look into the cost of a study determining how much money the county could charge developers for the right to build over the Toll Road and new Silver Line Metro stations. Air rights over roads and rail have been sold numerous times in New York City. For example, the 58-story Metlife building in New York is built in air rights above Grand Central Terminal. The city is also hoping to make as much as $750 million for mass transit improvements through air rights sales around Grand Central, according to Bloomberg. “…

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Bob Bruhns

11:08 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

From Pg.3 (continued): VDOT owns the property at or around these stations and would like to explore whether development at, around, and or atop these stations would make business sense, be feasible, integrate with local land use/transportation plans, and meet the local needs. According to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, the vision is to transform Tysons Corner from suburban office park and…   more ›

Stalled Commute, Special Delivery on Toll Road

Woman gives birth on Dulles Toll Road en route to Reston Hospital Center.

A couple heading to Reston Hospital Center to deliver their baby Monday morning instead found themselves welcoming their daughter into the world on the shoulder of the Dulles Toll Road. Sarah Bergeaux of Leesburg was not due until April 4. But when she began to feel contractions before dawn on Monday, she suggested to her husband, Jean-Paul, perhaps he should return from his gym workout and take her to the hospital. By the time they were set to go — and had friends in place to watch their 21-month-old son — Sarah was in labor. They were on the toll road heading to Reston and baby Noelle could wait no more. Jean-Paul had 911 on the line, but the baby was born — with lights flashing and parents praying — near the flyover lane at Route 28. …

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Dulles Toll Road Rates Rise Again Tuesday

As scheduled, tolls on the on/off ramps and at main plaza to rise by 25 cents.

The cost of driving on the Dulles Toll Road is about to rise again on Tuesday. Beginning Jan. 1, the toll rate on the Dulles Toll Road will increase by 25 cents at the Main Toll Plaza to $1.75.  Toll rates on the on/off ramps will increase by 25 cents to $1. These amounts were previously set in a November hearing, but the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has deferred making a decision on tolls for 2015. There will be an additional increase in January 2014 to $2.50 at the main plaza. The toll increases are necessary, in part, for the Airports Authority to operate and maintain the Dulles Toll Road and to construct the Metrorail Silver Line, which will begin operating in Dec. 2104. While Phase 1 of the Silver Line is being built …

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David A. LaRock

4:33 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

Solution: Tolling the Airport Access Road...read more here: http://notollincrease.blogspot.com/2012/12/solution-tolling-airport-access-rd.html   more ›

Will MWAA Vote For Another Toll Road Raise?

Board expected to raise Dulles Toll Road fees in vote Wednesday.

Users Talk Tolls at Reston MWAA Meeting

Airports Authority collecting public opinion, but will it be enough to control rising Dulles Toll Road rates?

Citizens came to South Lakes High School in Reston Wednesday night to talk about tolls and there were plenty of people there from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) there to listen. Wednesday night's event was the second of three public meetings organized by the group that oversees the Dulles Toll Road and the construction of the Metrorail's Silver Line. But will public opinion be enough to slow the rise in toll road rates?   Under the toll rate proposal, the combined main plaza and ramp tolls, currently $2.25 for 2-axle vehicles, would increase to $2.75 in 2013, $3.50 in 2014 and $4.50 in 2015 in order to help fund the construction of the Silver Line Phase 2. Advocacy group Reston2020 predicts tolls for area motorists …

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Letters to the Editor

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. We also recommend that you demand answers from your Virginia legislators. Contact us for a bumper sticker today at: info@notollincrease.org or better yet pick one up at the hearing.  First public hearing:   David LaRock Hamilton, VA 

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Dulles Toll Increase Hearings Set

Exhibits are available online and comments may be given via Internet or at hearing.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced this past week that the public comment period has opened regarding proposed toll rate increases along the Dulles Toll Road to help pay construction costs for the Metro’s Silver Line project as well as road operations. Under proposal, the combined main plaza and ramp tolls would double from the existing rate to $2.25 for 2-axle vehicles over the next three years based on the following schedule: Informational about the proposed toll increases, titled "On-Line Open House," can be found at www.mwaa.com/tollroad. Public comments can be submitted online or through the mail through Sept. 16, click here for address, or in person at one of the hearings, which will be conducted in an open …

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Letter to the Editor: Stop Tollmageddon

One reader suggests Virginia should revoke MWAA’s operating permit for the Dulles Toll Road.

There are two things that can be done to avoid the problems ahead for commuters and residents around Route 7 between Sterling and Tysons Corner. The first solution: Virginia must retake the Dulles Toll Road (DTR). Secretary Sean Connaughton on April 14, 2012 said the state was so unhappy with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that it would rather finish building the Silver Line itself. “We are actively evaluating whether we can take the project over. These guys [MWAA] are a disaster,” Connaughton said. “We’re at the point, quite honestly, where we think we could potentially do it better, cheaper, faster.” The Virginia Department of Transportation controls the Operating Permit for the DTR and could revoke that permit based on a…

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Bob Bruhns

11:04 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Dulles Toll Road toll problem will be ultimately be 'resolved' by infusing taxpayer money, and transferring the financing largely or totally to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, and possibly partly to the Commonwealth of Virginia. We were assured that the tolls and business tax districts would prevent other tax increases - but that was just another Dulles Rail lie. The kind of toll increases that…   more ›