On Wednesday, two members of Transform 66 Wisely spoke to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB). We spoke to share our concerns about the I-66 Transformation project and its true effects on residents and I-66 commuters.
The Washington Post’s Robert Thomson, also known as Dr. Gridlock, was present at the meeting. He has written a blog post, Residents near I-66 wary of expansion plan, detailing the concerns that we brought to the TPB. The TPB has significant influence as a gateway to Federal Funds that VDOT will rely on (the $2 Billion public portion of the $3 Billion total Transformation).
As residents along the I-66 corridor, we believe that regional issues need regional solutions. We also believe that necessary improvements to the corridor should provide true multimodal options that serve residents, commuters and businesses.
The current Transform 66 plans [that’s the Virginia government’s name for the I-66 programs] do not reflect this perspective. Instead, the plans presented by the Commonwealth of Virginia will severely impact or destroy the communities in the corridor outside the Beltway. The supposed beneficiaries of the plan, car drivers, will be forced to endure the permanent loss of a free lane or pay a hefty toll twice a day with unlimited increases.
Transform 66 Wisely 