Inside the Beltway
"If you build it, they will come." This famous quote aptly describes the results of widening highways: new lane capacity quickly fills with new cars. VDOT's proposal to widen I-66 ignores public support for other alternatives. Moreover, it would simply move traffic bottlenecks to new locations, including the already packed streets of DC. Much of the increased traffic on I-66 is a result of the scattering of jobs to office parks in suburban locations that lack access to transit. This leads to heavy solo-commuting from DC and the inner suburbs.
More effective solutions begin with short-term alternatives like HOV-3 (instead of HOV-2) in both directions and more express bus service. Medium-term solutions include completion of Metrorail to Tysons Corner, and focusing new development at suburban rail stations.
To learn more about I-66 alternatives visit www.acstnet.org.
