Tolls on I-66 Express Lanes start tomorrow, December 4th. Representatives from VDOT attended the November 28th County Board meeting, told everyone to buy an EZPass transponder, and generally responded with "Don't Worry, Be Happy" to concerns expressed by County Board members.
One would hope commuters who commute to Arlington one-per-vehicle on I-66 will purchase transponders, or choose a "Smart Growth" alternative, like riding a bicycle to MetroRail stations this Winter. One would hope employers of low-wage workers who commute on I-66 will subsidize the cost of EZPass transponders.
But one apparently-upscale commuter has posted the following question to several local news blogs:
"Why should I freeze or bake on the Vienna MetroRail platform waiting for a train that will stop at three MetroRail stations before Ballston, where I work in a new office building, with loads of parking beneath the building, when I can drive my Don Beyer SUV directly from my home to my Ballston workplace via brand new Express Lanes?"
I have to agree that the people who are responsible for the MetroRail mess are our elected representatives, who also are WMATA Board members, who've given commuters about a dozen transportation and transit alternatives to NOT ride Metrorail. I-66 Express Lanes are only the latest.
Why should we pay more in taxes to subsidize the transportation disaster our elected representatives created over the past 25 years?
Cindy in Ballston 22203
27 comments:
Answer - You shouldn't. Why did you work your @$$ off the past 15 years as a CIA contractor keeping the warfighting going in the Middle East? So you could freeze your @$$ on a train platform or commuting on a bicycle? Now you're a Big Dog and live in Oakton with the other Agency Big Dogs. You deserve to commute to your brand new office suite in Ballston (building and underground garage approved by WMATA Board member Christian Dorsey) in a Don Beyer Express Lanes Edition Range Rover.
I would post something here but the owner of the media empire I work for is mad about the newspaper and news blog I publish not achieving the advertising revenue target he set last month, so we need all the ad revenue we can get this month.
According to the local media the inbound commute on I-66 today was great. According to commuters who drive on other interstates and arterials their commute today sucked.
Twenty five dollars one-way from the Beltway to DC? Let's give it to the biker scum - scofflaws, drunks, druggies, and psychos - so they can make all our streets and sidewalks look like downtown Copenhagen.
Inbound commute is totally sucking this morning (Tuesday) from EFC to Ballston on Washington Blvd.
Metro Section
Metro studying rivals for rides
ARE UBER AND LYFT HURTING AGENCY?
Consultant will create new transit usage models
As was previously posted on this blog, it's the WMATA Board members and their predecessors who are / were also elected representatives in the various jurisdictions around the Beltway (e.g., Supervisor Christian Dorsey in Arlington) who are / were responsible for starting and continually funding at least a dozen alternatives to taking a Metrorail train.
Arterials parallel to I-66 were again a mess this morning. This information has apparently been censored by the local media.
Local media are obviously shills for whatever federal, state, and local government have planned. No reports have so far appeared from angry commuters who are totally PO'd about the cost of commuting a couple miles on I-66.
I manage a restaurant in Arlington, but can't afford to live in Arlington. A couple employees who live out past Manassas want the restaurant owner to pay for an EzPass transponder so they can get to work without having to drive on local streets. But that's gonna cost at least $125 per employee per week.
Local Media are greedy shills for everyone with a buck to spend for advertising and suck up to local governments and government agencies like VDOT in return for press releases which are printed as "news".
Just more corrupt "Smart Growth" which gentrifies out the middle class than makes workers pay $30 to drive one-way to work from the outer-outer burbs where it's difficult to find someone to car pool with.
"The Arlington Way" under "Gentrification Jay" 1998-2018 -- Gentrify the middle class out 30 miles and then charge them $30 to drive one-way to their $12 / hour part time jobs in vibrant Smart Growth Arlington.
How about a Yupette Feature - Who were the greediest and sleaziest local media owners and publishers in 2017?
They're complaining about Uber and Lyft taking riders from MetroRail? While proposing Taj Mahal bike trails in the MetroRail corridor to take more riders from MetroRail? Duh.
Surprise, Surprise...Commuters who were gentrified out of Arlington revolting over having to pay $20 one-way to commute from their affordable suburbs to their $12 / hour part time jobs in vibrant Rosslyn.
Latest on MetroRail's competition -- Bicycle fanatics are having WAMTA Board members like Christian Dorsey build Taj Mahal bicycle trails in their jurisdictions so thhe bikers can have a better bicycle commute to DC.
How about a Yupette feature - who was the worst local squirrel journalist in 2017?
Worst squirrel journalist in Arlington? Choice is between Scott Brodbeck and Scort McCaffrey. Patricia Sullivan hasn't been seen in Arlington for months.
What set off the I-66 commuters was learning that the Smart Growth idiots who run inside-the-beltway are going to use toll revenues to construct extravagant bike trails parallel to I-66 and expect thousands of commuters to bike rather than drive to work.
Squirrel journalists? Major news of the day today: Scott McCaffrey - car tax window decal art contest in Arlington; Scott Brodbeck - decorative motor scooter stolen from outside Italian restaurant.
Yes, time to reform WMATA's Board of Directors. Latest anti-MetroRail antic is Taj Mahal bike trails parallel to I-66. Coast downhill from Vienna to Ballston. Put your bike on a Metrobus from Ballston to Vienna rather than bike home uphill.
Regarding Metrorail - time to stop putting lipstick on a pig.
"Captain, it appears they are worshiping a machine they call a 'bicycle'".
Agree -- Remove local pols from the WMATA Board.
What to do...What to do...A Don Beyer Express Lanes Range Rover or a Don Beyer Express Lanes Volvo SUV? My year-end bonus at Keep The Third World Wars Going LLC will easily pay for either.
I am supposed to allow some fucking biketard whose bikeshare bicycle fucktards get tax dollars from voting for Jay and Libby in return for allowing his and her fucking irresponsible behavior on the streets and sidewalks continue so as to keep terrorizing me on Arlington's streets and sidewalks? No fucking way.
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