Groups Urge Evaluation of Alternatives for 95-395
COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH and SIERRA CLUB - VIRGINIA CHAPTER
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 5, 2010
Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, CSG, 703-599-6437 (c)
Groups Urge Evaluation of Alternatives for 95-395
Community Impacts and Alternatives to Move More People Were Never Evaluated by the State
The Coalition for Smarter Growth and the Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter have written to Governor McDonnell and state transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton urging reevaluation of the proposed HOT lane project for I-95/395. Their letter follows one sent on September 7, 2010 by Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria identifying numerous outstanding technical and procedural issues. Prince William County has also raised concerns about the project’s impacts on its commuters, on the successful “slugging” system, and the potential cost of the tolls.
“Under the prior administration, the state failed to evaluate the impact of the project on communities along the corridor, the impact on existing and highly successful carpool and transit service, or the bottleneck at the 14th Street Bridge, among other issues,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
The groups’ letter criticizes the use of a Categorical Exclusion in 2006 under which the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) was exempted from analyzing alternatives and impacts of the project. “A number of issues have popped up that would have been detected through a proper Environmental Impact Study. By trying to shortcut the process, VDOT may have actually created delay,” said Roger Diedrich, Transportation Chair for the Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter.
Among the issues not considered were a number of community impacts from new and expanded highway ramps necessary to support the HOT lanes, and the impact on the “slugging” system. The state also failed to evaluate project options which would focus primarily on improving bus, HOV and VRE service. These options would move more people per lane per hour than the HOT proposal.
Responding to the tempest over Arlington County’s lawsuit, Stewart Schwartz noted, “Northern Virginia communities wouldn’t be in this situation had VDOT conducted a proper Environmental Impact Study. The Public Private Transportation Act is undermining proper analysis. VDOT is making multi-billion dollar decisions and signing away authority and future revenues to private companies without analyzing alternatives. That’s the central issue here.”
The groups urged consideration of transit and HOV alternatives, linkages to transit-oriented land use, consideration of the impact of the HOT option on Mark Center BRAC traffic, the 14th Street Bridge bottleneck and the limited capacity of District of Columbia Streets to absorb more vehicles.
“We urge Governor McDonnell and Secretary Connaughton not to proceed with negotiations with a PPTA partner and to instead expedite a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study to fully evaluate impacts and alternatives. In the meantime, there are many targeted HOV and transit enhancements that can be made in the corridor,” concluded Diedrich.
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