Hello,
We became concerned about reports in the Stafford and Sportsylvania news media that current and future development would put thousands more single-ocupant vehicles on I-95 and I-395 every weekday, to the point where HOT lanes in Arlington would be stop-go during morning rush hours. So we asked a neighbor to drive to VDOT's meeting last Thursday in Stafford, which was about extending HOT Lanes 2 miles farther South to 'relieve congestion and improve accessibility'.
It took our neighbor 2 1/2 hours to reach the meeting, via non-HOT lanes, just off Exit 140. Reason for the HOT Lanes extension is so that Stafford County residents who drive to work in DC, at the Pentagon, and elswwhere inside the DC Beltway won't be backed up in traffic for 2 miles exiting the HOT Lanes PM rush hour and backed up for 1/2 mile or more accessing the HOT lanes during AM rush hour. Cost to unhappy SOV drivers is about $15 one-way via EZ-Pass between Stafford and Alexandria, which is driving the 2-mile HOT lanes extension.
Massive development is occurring in Stafford County, mostly to build 'affordable' townhouses. A big selling point for the developers is ease of access to HOT lanes for single-occupant vehicle drivers who work at the Pentagon, in DC, and so on, typically an hour or less to the Pentagon.
Which answers the question - what happened to the middle class that was gentrified out of Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, DC, because of 'Smart Growth'?
It's obvious that HOT lanes in Arlington would be jammed with single-occupant vehicles a short time after they're constructed. It's also obvious that members of the General Assembly know all about what they want to inflict on Arlington, since they often drive to and from Richmond.
But don't believe us. Take a relaxing trip on I-95 to Stafford County some weekday afternoon, after 3 PM, and see for yourselves.
Cindy
58 comments:
Arlington County spent how many tax dollars successfully suing VDOT to prevent HOT lanes from being installed through the County?
Republicrats are at it again.
VDOT is at a loss to explain what will happen if, as predicted, there is massive development in Caroline and Spotsylvania Counties
What can you expect when your state's voters elect a Republican followed by a Democratic Governor whose primary interests while in office were and are making deals that help corporate cronies?
VDOT Legal Notice in Wash Post Metro Section on March 28th:
I-395 South Widening, Alexandria and Fairfax County
Design Public Hearing
Thursday, April 14, 2016, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Bren Mar Park Elementary School
6344 Beryl Road, Alexandria VA 22012
Find out about plans to construct a fourth through lane on southbound Duke Street and Edsall Road (a 2.7 mile segment). There are currently four southbound through lanes north and south of the project corridor, but only three through lanes within the project limits. The additional lane constructed with this project will fill the gap to ease bottlenecks through the Landmark area.
Stop by between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM to view displays and learn about the project. VDOT staff will be available to answer your questions.
What about northbound I-395?
Undoubtedly, there is serious pressure on the Governor, General Assembly, and VDOT to expedite SOV travel on I-395 HOT lanes.
What ever happened to telecommuting?
What do Governor McAuliffe and the General Assembly care about what affected neighborhoods in Arlington think?
So, after persuading the then-County Board to spend a couple million successfully suing VDOT and stopping VDOT's proposed HOT lanes extension through Arlington, Chris Zimmerman retires and goes to work for Smart Growth America which is pushing for extending HOT lanes through Arlington.
When are my LGBT-selected state senator and delegate going to take a time-out from promoting the LGBT Party's agenda and appropriate funds to re-pave state roads in South Arlington?
It gets worse - every Harley motorcycle that participates in Rolling Thunder puts 25 times more hydrocarbon pollution onto the I-395 corridor than a brand new Don Beyer Range Rover SUV.
Another reason why Smart Growth sucks. The real affordable housing is being constructed in Stafford County. Whatever so-called 'affordable housing' is being constructed in Arlington is to benefit out-of-state REITs, local housing non-profits. and the County's bloated 'planning' bureaucracy which build market-rate and entry-level housing for the so-called "creative class" which spends whatever time it isn't working at the Pentagon and CIA, and for Pentagon and CIA contractors, partying in bars, restaurants, and clubs.
Possible mitigation - make all 395-95 lanes toll lanes. Compensate TransUrban with a portion of the tolls for the widening it financed. Use toll revenue from the lanes VDOT controls for transportation improvements in the corridor. Stop giving priority to single-occupant vehicles.
What is the infatuation with ever-larger pick up trucks and SUVs?
Developers in Stafford are promoting their in-fill townhouse communities as having easy access to HOT lanes. Translation - an hour drive to DC and the Pentagon.
What can you expect when the 1% who make all the decisions and own almost everything want massive immigration, no matter what the future consequences?
Yeah, no. I define 'quality of life' as not having to spend hours commuting each day. Which is why we work our butts off to live in small house with a tiny side yard in Arlington and have a 10 minute commute. How 'affordable' is this 'affordable housing' in Stafford really, with the ridiculous commute time added in? HOT lanes aren't going to fix that.
This 'fix' will be good for about 5 years.
Anyone seen the backup northbound on 395 at South Glebe Road lately?
Sheeple employed at the Pentagon and in Pentagon City are promised 1-hour one-way commutes via HOT Lanes by developers in Stafford County who sell 4 bedroom 3-bath townhouses for $220,000. That's why.
Same promises made to the Semper Dumbasses employed at Quantico, Exit 143.
The 1% in Arlington, and elsewhere, want a stady supply of Third World immigrants, to the tune of 1 million legal immigrants and 300,000 illegal immigrants evry year, who they can exploit. That goes for Hillary, Trump, and every other upscale elitist in-between.
The 1% are all oligarchs who thrive from exploitation, whether in Mexico City, Port au Prince Haiti, or Washington DC.
"Fix" to HOT lanes in Stafford County is the result of Stafford residents bitterly complaining about 45 minites being added to their hour-long commute from the Pentagon, which costs them $15 one-way.
I am waiting for Arlington's Biketards to put out a press release calling for a dedicated bike lane from the Pentagon to Exit 143.
I hate the 1%, the 3.3 million in the U.S. who completely control us. They play, we pay.
Who trade votes for tax $$$ spent on expensive projects to benefit special interests....bike lanes, dog parks, big grants to live theater. When does my crumbling residential street get repaved?
Who spend our public safety resources to be nannies to party til ya puke millennials.
Who exempt their own exclusive neighborhoods from the 'complete streets' they impose on us, inflicted on us by county transportation staff who live in Stafford County and commute one-per-vehicle via HOT lanes.
Local media have thrived from making the I-95 corridor a Yuppie, GenX, Millennial zoo, Fredericksburg to DC.
So, what can you expect when the 1% decides we 'need' 80,000 - 90,000 people living in VA every year?
Some years the increase in the state's population has been more than 100,000.
Local media love those full page ads for new townhouse communities in the far out 'burbs.
The 1% don't send their kids to formerly-rural schools with more trailer classrooms than permanent classrooms.
The last three Presidents of the United States have daughters who were teenagers when they were in office. Seen any interest whatsoever in the world their daughters would be living in 30,40,50 years in the future?
Virginians are being deliberately uninformed by the Media -- population of the U.S. will increase from 330 million to 400 million in less than 30 years, population of Virginia will increase by 2 1/2 million, from 8.6 million to 10 million.
Media are just celebrity elitists who scare us when they aren't brainwashing us.
So what does VDOT do when the HOT lanes through Arlington are stop-and-go in 2021?
The 1% only give a $#!+ about the 1%. Anything that may benefit the 99% is purely coincidental.
I visited Russia for several weeks last year. I speak Russian well. The major difference between Russia under Putin and the United States under Obama is the advanced sophistication of the National Security Machine in the U.S.
Effective immediately - no more 'guest' comments on ArlNow, per owner, publisher, and chamber of commerce booster Scott Brodbeck.
Does this mean County employees will have to obtain G mail accounts?
Don't the developers receive enough corporate welfare?
You can always post comments on Inside Nova if you don't support the status quo.
VDOT plans to build 'collector lanes' in Spotsylvania and Caroline Counties.
AY doesn't allow propaganda comments by organizations like VDOT, or campaigns by County Staff or other special interests pushing or opposing a program or project.
Everyone should realize that massive in-fill development and redevelopment doesn't cost the developers anything. All costs - financial, social, environmental - are shifted onto others.
Millions of poor Americans (many of them Iraq and Afghanistan veterans) are going to be kicked off food stamps aka food assistance debit cards and told to find good jobs while Congress and the Obama Administration welcome 1 million legal immigrants to the U.S. this year, as they have every year for at least 8 years. Oh, BTW, at least 80,000 Cubans will be granted instant refugee status this year and handed a food assistance debit card shortly after arriving.
Thanks for this blog. I drove to Richmond via the regular lanes and the HOT Lanes in Stafford County were backed up a mile at 4 PM where they merge with the regular lanes. So the people who are driving single-occupant vehicles to the Pentagon and paying $15 one-way to use HOT lanes are obviously putting lots of pressure on the pols.
National, regional, and local media are corrupt, that's why. So-called public television and public radio are among the worst, if not the worst.
Thanks for hosting a blog that doesn't shill for the chamber of commerce.
NPR and PBS are another bunch of celebrities who cater to old wealthy former hippies like Hillary and Bernie.
What a great County. Cuban economic refugees are handed a laundry list of benefits as soon as they step off a plane onto U.S. soil and Iraq and Afghan war veterans born in the USA are directed to the nearest homeless shelter.
Let's all vote to re-elect Don Beyer, Tim Kaine, and Mark Warner, and vote for Hillary in November.
I can't post anonymously on ArlNow anymore. You forgot to go after the greedy realtors who walk hand in hand to the local courthouse with the greedy developers.
Limo-Liberal and Country Club Republican exploitation? When's the last time Hill and Bill cleaned the 20 or so bathrooms in their mansions? When's the last time Trump cleaned the bathrooms in one of his hotels?
Last time they cleaned anything was when they lived at home with their parents, 50 years ago.
Plenty of veterans still on the strest in Arlington, after more then $10 million was spent on a new 'homelessness prevention facility'.
Why do the 'authorities' try to count the homeless in January? Why not in May?
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