This is an open letter to Dan Scandling, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf:
Mr. Scandling,
I recently became aware of Congressman Frank Wolf’s continued efforts in an attempt to help his constituents who use the Dulles Greenway. I have read the letter Wolf recently sent to the Virginia transportation secretary, Sean Connaughton.
While I greatly appreciate Wolf’s tone and agree with the message in his letter a few things continue to concern me. I have listed the issues below for you and hope my input will be beneficial to your office.
1. Starting July 1, 2010, the Dulles Greenway actually charges commuters $5.25 for a one-way toll (the rate during morning rush hour, 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and afternoon rush hour, 4 to 6:30 p.m.). Not the $4.50 cited in his letter. As a household who has two commuters, our family spends the following: $10.50 (Dulles Greenway) plus $2.25 (Dulles Toll Road), multiplied by 2, which equals a daily cost of $25.50. I will be happy to provide you our monthly invoice of charges to validate the numbers I have shared.
2. Another fact often overlooked is the increased incremental charges from VDOT for account holders of an EZ-Pass/Smart Tag system. For example, my household is charged $150 three times a month. Granted this is in line with our frequency of the Greenway/Dulles Toll Road usage, but nonetheless, it is a significant financial hit to our monthly budget.
3. The lack or inability for the Dulles Greenway owners to use a tiered or metered toll. For example, we enter/exit the Dulles Greenway at Exit 6 (Ashburn/Broadlands). We only utilize about 51 percent of the 14-mile toll road, however we are being charged at 100 percent. This seems unbalanced, especially when you factor in other toll roads that actually charge per the distance traveled.
I understand it is our “choice” to use the Dulles Greenway; however, with the increased road congestion of primary and secondary roads within the Ashburn/Broadlands area, there are little options. Either we can add an additional 30 minutes each way to our daily commutes or we can spend a collective $22.50 a day.
Again I appreciate Wolf’s continued efforts to assist his constituents, but the egregious fleecing of Ashburn/Broadlands commuters must end. Families similar to mine are spending nearly $450 a month in tolls, the majority of which is going to the Dulles Greenway.
In this economic climate, my family is lucky enough to have both of us working, but using or not using the Dulles Greenway means we are sacrificing either our time or enduring an hefty financial burden.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Erika M. Hodell-Cotti
Broadlands
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It’s an Australian company owns it now right? Or is it Dutch? Regardless its a choice of Tolling or taxes. Get used to it because without public financing via taxes there are many more toll roads and other toll transportation services planned.
Frank Wolf is always present for the publicity especially in an election year. but public services like roads and education are spending. You know how Frank Wolf hates spending. So, its tolls and tuition increases.
Those with the means to pay get service - those who can’t don’t.
HGU - from the responses I see on forums such as this, most in ‘the crowd’ I described use the argument against funding mass transit with tax money, while completely ignoring the fact that every single road (save for privately built roads like the Greenway) are built w/ the same exact tax funds put toward transit. I’m glad to hear there is one person in that group who understands that fact - TY.
Your VDOT comment - I don’t know about that regarding the interstates (95, 66, 81, 64, 85, etc.). Having said that, we know Delaware has a toll on 95 that clogs traffic to high he%$, and you can’t go N/S on a highway w/o going either up to the PA turnpike or Bay Bridge to Delmarva or NJTP/295. All options w/in 100+ miles are tolled. So much for choice, huh.
Don’t hold your breath on the tiered tolls. If TRIP II thought they could make more money doing that, they would be in place. I think the reason they don’t is that local traffic could clog up sections of the road and discourage through drivers. Wolf is putting on a big show, but don’t think anything will come of it. The rest of the state has no problem with us paying tolls!
reality check - Even we in the “anti-govt./regulation/tax crowd” understand roads cost money. Tolls are fine, as long as every road is a toll road. There’s no reason why VDOT could not erect toll plazas on every freeway in the state. This issue is a question of fairness.
It’s called free enterprise Erika, and it’s the basis of the US economy. That notwithstanding, the Greenway is subject to a fair amount of scrutiny and regulation, but it is a privately owned and operated business, and can set it’s rates as it wishes, w/in the bounds of the oversight. Yes, the problems with the tolling mechanism (1 price, not pro-rated) as you describe it was known from the get-go, with the plazas as you enter westbound and exit eastbound. It is much cheaper to operate and of course, gets the maximum $$ from all users. You and I could argue that more folks would use it if it was a pro-rated, or per exit, fee structure. They’d probably get much more use on either end by ‘local users’, and the 28/Waxpool Road situation would be nothing like it is. But do you think TRIPII gives a hoot? No. And why should they. What’s good for them, is good for them. The worse traffic is elsewhere, the more people will use their toll road and pay that flat fee. I could now morph this argument into favoring government-run toll roads, where at least the tolls would possibly be used for other transportation projects besides that toll road, and the “profit” wouldn’t go to foreign investors, but then the anti-govt./regulation/tax crowd would roar back…even though we ALL now pay for the supposed “free” roads with our taxes and fees and bonds…
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