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
