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Coalition for Smarter Growth
Shenandoah Valley Network

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 10, 2006
For More Information: Stewart Schwartz, CSG, 202-244-4408
Trip Pollard, SELC, 931-636-9189 cell
Megan Gallagher, SVN 540-253-5162


VDOT Seeks Blank Check for 8-Lane I-81 and Tolls

Proposal at Odds with Governor Kaine’s Reform Agenda
for Land Use and Transportation

Resolution before CTB in Roanoke on Wednesday, October 11th

“Secretary Homer and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) gave the impression last week that massive widening of I-81 and the STAR Solutions four-toll-lane proposal were off the table. But VDOT is engaging in slight-of-hand, since their proposal is little different,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

Sources indicate that VDOT is proposing up to four additional lanes for the entire length of I-81. At the same time, VDOT still wants to use I-81 for a pilot tolling project.

“VDOT is seeking a blank-check to do whatever they want with I-81, ignoring the weight of public opinion and the technical facts,” said Schwartz. “The resolution they want from the CTB would authorize up to 8-lanes for the entire length and it would permit tolling, contrary to the consensus opinion of legislators, local officials, citizens, and many business leaders in the corridor.”

“VDOT’s recommendation to the CTB is a slap in the face to the 1000 people who turned out to oppose an 8-lane I-81 and the majority of people and groups opposed to tolls,” said Megan Gallagher, Coordinator for the Shenandoah Valley Network. “The damage to the communities, to agriculture and to the scenic and historic character of the Shenandoah Valley would be enormous and irreparable.”

VDOT is seeking to “finalize” the Draft Environmental Study without correcting serious flaws and by locking in the highway expansion that they have sought all along. They are asking for approval to expand I-81 to up to 8-lanes for most of the length of the highway and to maintain I-81 as a tolling pilot project.

In addition, VDOT is refusing to wait to incorporate the analysis from a multi-state rail study required by the General Assembly. And even though they will be doing the study at some point, their proposal is to lock-in their current traffic forecasts using their existing estimates of diversion of freight to rail, ignoring any results from the rail study. VDOT’s proposal would commit Virginia to an unaffordable, massive 20-year expansion program consuming resources needed for other transportation projects around the state.

“VDOT’s proposal makes no logical sense, is destructive of history, communities and the environment, and would cost billions of dollars,” said Schwartz. The VDOT study shows three discrete problems, only one of which – targeted safety problem areas -- would be addressed by their approach.”

1) Safety problems along about 10% of the lane miles. Solution: targeted road safety improvements including shoulders, improved sight lines, and truck climbing lanes, combined with increase speed and safety enforcement. A recent targeted enforcement effort near Roanoke slowed traffic and reduced accident rates.
2) Local traffic in urbanized areas. Solution: Investment in much less expensive local road networks combined with better land use and community design to reduce short trips on I-81.
3) Long-distance freight traffic. Solution: Virginia and multi-state rail investments to shift freight from trucks to rail.

Gallagher concluded: “We are urging the Commonwealth Transportation Board to reject VDOT’s blank-check proposal. We are asking the CTB to keep the Draft Environmental Study open to correct serious flaws and to incorporate a multi-state rail solution and approaches that better address the local traffic problem. In the meantime, they do not need the DEIS to proceed with targeted safety improvements, many of which they identified as far back as 1997. Targeted improvements should be done with environmental reviews and using context sensitive solutions.”

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More Information about I-81 is available at: www.ShenandoahValleyNetwork.org