Ken Cuccinelli for State Senate

For many years, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been studying the beltway as part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. Last year, VDOT held hearings on its draft EIS, and virtually everyone rejected the three proposed build alternatives because of substantial impacts, especially on the hundreds of homes and businesses that would have been displaced, outside the existing I-495/beltway right of way.

Now, a private firm, Fluor, has come up with a plan that seems to make a great deal of sense. Fluor proposes to add four new lanes, two each way, which will be restricted to HOV, transit and emergency vehicles traveling for free while all others would pay a variable toll. This system is called HOT lanes.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) just recently authorized VDOT to proceed further with the Fluor HOT lanes proposal. We applaud the CTB for this action; however, our concern is that the process proceed promptly.

The Fluor plan will allow improvement of the beltway capacity in the correct way. It is environmentally sensitive and, critically, is mass-transit friendly. The HOT lanes would provide a congestion-free express-bus transit link between Springfield and Tysons Corner, joining a number of existing Metro stations in a way not otherwise economically feasible. It also is the only plan that stays almost entirely within the existing right of way and provides the funds to make the improvements so that relief can occur sooner rather than later.

We have two messages for VDOT as the process proceeds:

Keep the improvements to the beltway within the existing right of way.

Move this along on the fastest schedule possible. We cannot afford to have this project languish because of bureaucratic delays.

We stand ready to assist VDOT and CTB as this important project proceeds. For the sake of all stuck in traffic on the beltway in Northern Virginia, let's get it done now!

Del. Vincent Callahan (R) and Sen. Richard Saslaw (D), co-chairmen, Northern Virginia delegation

Del. David Albo (R), Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R), Del. Kristen Amundson (D), Sen. Janet Howell (D), Del. Thomas Bolvin (R), Sen. Jay O'Brien (R), Del. Jeannemarie Devolites (R), Sen. Linda Puller (D), Del. James Dillard (R), Sen. Patricia Ticer (D), Del. Timothy Hugo (R), Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D), Del. Robert Hull (D), Del. Brian Moran (D), Del. Chapman Petersen (D), Del. Kenneth Plum (D), Del. Thomas Rust (R), Del. James Scott (D) and Del. Vivian Watts (D).