Loudoun Challenges Secretary Connaughton and CTB Effort to Revive Controversial Outer Beltway
LOUDOUN CITIZENS FOR A COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
and
COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH, PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL, SIERRA CLUB - VIRGINIA CHAPTER
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
April 18, 2011
Contact:
Steve Hines, Loudoun Citizens for a Countywide Transportation Plan, 703-304-3852
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth, 703-599-6437
Chris Miller, PEC, 540-347-2334
David Dickson, Sierra Club,202-834-4842
Loudoun Challenges Secretary Connaughton and CTB Effort to Revive Controversial Outer Beltway
Fights Potential Diversion of Critical Transportation Revenues
Loudoun County residents and members of the County Board of Supervisors have discovered that Secretary Connaughton and two members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) have sought to revive the controversial Western Bypass and make it a top priority for funding as a new "Corridor of Statewide Significance." Several residents attended Monday night's Board of Supervisors meeting to speak in favor of a Loudoun County Board of Supervisors resolution which:
- Protests the CTB's lack of public process;
- Calls for extensive consultation with the county; and,
- Calls for a focus on the county's much more critical transportation needs in terms of east-west travel.
"We were shocked to learn that the Secretary and CTB were proposing to make the TriCounty Parkway and a full "Potomac to Potomac" outer beltway, a Corridor of Statewide Significance, a designation which could give the project extra weight for funding," said Steve Hines of Loudoun’s Citizens for a County Transportation Plan (Citizens CTP). "Where was the consultation with the public and our Board of Supervisors?"
Citizens CTP participated in the public comment on the updated Loudoun County Transportation plan and commissioned a technical review by a national expert which showed the overwhelming traffic problem and need is for east-west travel, not north-south.
"We were even more shocked to learn that decisions on such a significant public policy issue were being made by an official state commission without any public notice," said Martha Polkey of Citizens CTP. "This would not happen under the legal procedures of our county."
In both February and March, the issue was brought up under "New Business" at the CTB meetings at VDOT headquarters in Richmond and was not shown on the agenda. Despite the failure to provide public notice, Secretary Connaughton and CTB members Koelemay (of SAIC) and Garczynski (a Northern Virginia builder) sought to bring the resolution to a vote at the March meeting.
"Not one mention of the TriCounty Parkway, the Western Bypass, the Outer Beltway or a new Corridor of Statewide Significance was made during Secretary Connaughton's lobbying for $3 billion in borrowing and a $4 billion transportation package," said Chris Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council. "Is it because the project is so controversial and clearly not a critical need? Inclusion of the highway in the 2002 Sales Tax Referendum package was one of the key issues that prompted the strong rejection of the tax increase."
"Northern Virginia already has far more critical transportation needs than it can afford," said Roger Diedrich of the Sierra Club - Virginia Chapter. "Metrorail rehabilitation, bus service, I-66, Tysons Corner street connections, I-95, VRE, and all of the east-west connections in eastern Loudoun, to name a just a few."
Greg Jones of Citizens CTP added, "Any resident of Loudoun County will tell you of their frustration when trying to travel on Route 7, Waxpool Road, the Dulles Toll Road or Route 50. For the Secretary of Transportation to tell them he may divert our scarce transportation revenues to a north-south road which will open more land to development and traffic will not go over well."
"As a military veteran, I am very concerned about the lack of public process and lack of transparency," said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. "I am equally concerned that this proposed and unnecessary new highway would run through the historic landscape on the western side of Manassas National Battlefield, and be pushed forward during the 150th Anniversary of the First and Second Battles of Manassas no less."
The groups are unified in their call for:
- Addressing Loudoun and Prince William Counties' east-west traffic problems and the priority transportation problems of northern Virginia, and not adding an outer beltway.
- An official and transparent procedure, including public and local government input, hearings, and technical analysis on whether to add a new Corridor of Statewide Significance to the eleven already designated.
- A stronger role for northern Virginia elected officials and the public in setting priorities for use of scarce transportation revenues.
- Compliance by the Secretary of Transportation and CTB with the public notice procedures expected of public bodies in Virginia, including posting of the agenda and meeting materials sufficiently in advance of the meetings (to allow members of the public sufficient time to arrange a day off work for travel to Richmond) and the noticing of all proposed resolutions and votes.
More Information:
Coalition for Smarter Growth, Press Release, February 25, 2011: http://www.smartergrowth.net/anx/index.cfm/1,126,1027,0,html/Controversial-VA-Outer-Beltway-Being-Revived
Loudoun Citizens for a Countywide Transportation Plan: http://www.citizensctp.us/
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