You know, traffic would not be so bad if you would simply put down the phone and stop shoving food down your throats. Every Morning I have to deal with Chick Fill A,McDonalds,Starbucks,Dunkin Doughnuts and what ever else is open at 5 a.m. in the morning. And then there’s the phone calls. Who the hell are you talking to at 6:30 in the morning? Until people start paying attention and drive like you have some sense it will never get any better. So scream and whine at your county Supervisor’s to build you that magic road, put up all the bridges you want. Your still not going to get where you need to be until people pull their heads out their asses. Stop wasting the states money and drive.

Yep Alby, I couldn’t agree more.  FX Co Pkwy would be the best connector route, even better than 28, for the reasons you said.  The Marylanders just need to convince their legislators to build the bridge.  Potomac MD residents are lobbying too hard to not let the bridge come near their estates, and the Frederick residents are too busy attending Loudoun meetings and commenting on Loudoun websites.  Hey Marylanders: go get busy lobbying on your own turf!  Another bridge with an outer beltway through Fairfax is the answer, not widening Rt 15.

I don’t think the bridge across the Potomac should connect to RT.28. Instead it should connect to the Fairfax County Parkway. That way, Fairfax gets all the Maryland/Virginia traffic jams, not Loudoun. And since FFParkway also intersects with the tollroad, I-66, RT.50, and I-95, it would make sense to link up a crossing to the Fairfax County Parkway and then expand it to support the traffic in Springfield.

I am just curious as to why Marylanders show up at community meetings in Loudoun and why they read and comment on Loudoun newspaper websites.  They are putting a “voice” out there thinking that their voice will sway the opinions of Loudouners and those making the decisions in Loudoun County.  Well guess what, your voices don’t matter until you live here, pay taxes and vote for our Supervisors.  In the meantime, the Maryland peeps should focus their time and energies on convincing their own legislators to put another bridge over the Potomac River connecting 28 and 270.  It would make your commutes much faster and you could stop your whining.

I avoid VA as much as possible. It’s because of the drivers that what should be a 10 minute commute takes almost an hour.

For the record: I’ve never passed anyone on a double yellow line but I’ve been damn near tempted.

Also, VA drivers don’t understand the concept of merging. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been stuck on an on ramp because a VA driver came to a COMPLETE STOP while trying to merge.

Adam, you must’ve been the one that passed me yesterday on a double yellow line as I was going 10 miles OVER the speed limit!  If you don’t like that Virginia drivers drive cautiously, I don’t think anyone would mind if you kept to your own MD roads.

Adam Black - You are probably one of those Fredneck reckless drivers!  Why don’t you go lurk one of your Fredneck newspaper websites?

It’s not the drivers from MD are bad drivers but more so that drivers from VA are idiots. VA drivers are the only people who break when they come to a GREEN light (I suppose so they can slam on the breaks if it turns red) and constantly travel 5-10 mph BELOW the posted speed limit. I travel between Frederick MD and Leesburg VA everyday and the idiocy of VA drivers never ceases to amaze me.

On a cross country road trip a few years ago I was stuck in a traffic jam on a two lane road in Wyoming. Finally the road widened and cars began to speed around the one car that was bottle necking traffic. Guess where it was from? Yup, Virginia.

I support using VA tax dollars to widen Rt 15. Better your tax dollars than mine! :D

I Can’t Believe -  Let me know when our bankrupt country sends VDOT a check to improve RT.15.  Because if I’ve got to pay, some supervisor won’t be employed.

Maybe we should stop all Maryland cars that come into Virginia and charge them a user’s fee. Except, maybe they would reciprocate and make it hard to go anywhere north or northeast of Virginia.  Route 15 is a federal highway; maybe we could get some stimulus money to widen the damn road.

Put a toll booth up, let them pay for it.  Right before the bridge, give the a-holes a chance to turn around.

Widening Rt 15 is not the solution here.  I travel the portion between Leesburg and Lucketts several times a day and I can verify that a majority of the cars traveling on that stretch have MD license plates.  I am against using VA tax dollars to make the trip for MD residents easier.  I will gladly sit in the traffic to get home on a two lane road!  Now the real problem is the way that MD drivers drive on our roads!  It is the “not in my neighborhood mentality”.  I consistently have MD drivers passing me on double yellow lines, well over the speed limit—and with cars coming at them from the other direction.  On several occasions I have had MD drivers pass me in turn lanes on Rt 15.  Usually when the intersection at 15 and Battlefield Pkwy is blocked during rush hour, it is MD drivers in the afternoon heading north.  Where 15 merges into one lane at Battlefield Pkwy, it is always MD drivers zooming by in the left merge lane, passing all the cars waiting, to get a better place in line.  I have had MD drivers pass me early in the morning in dense fog on double yellow lines.  I frequently see ahead of me, drivers in my lane, coming from the other direction, as they pass several cars at a time, without regard for the fact that a car is coming right at them! Certainly not all MD drivers are offenders of such, but whenever I see reckless and inconsiderate driving on Rt 15, usually they have a MD license plate.  For years, MD has refused to let a bridge cross over the Potomac anywhere in Montgomery County.  I certainly do not want my tax dollars going to extra lanes so that more of them can come drive recklessly on our roads, and/or provide them an open road to go at faster speeds.  Rt 15 North is a very dangerous road, largely because of the way people with MD license plates drive on it.

I say, build a bridge at White’s Ferry and put a toll booth on the RT.15 bridge with a crazy expensive toll that encourages Marylanders to burn up their own roads through Poolsville,MD to reach their jobs. Then let them crow to the Montgomery County Govt about getting Whites Ferry Road in Maryland widened.  Muahahahah

Route 15 is too beautiful to be widened. It is a scenic, two lane road that passes through Loudoun’s horse country. So please: Build your Route 15 alternative EAST of Leesburg!

Loudoun county has grown so much just in the 10 years that I have lived here. Rt 15 and Rt 9 are the last major road ways that need to be widen or have a by pass developed. The roads can not handled the traffic now and they are always grid locked.  I don’t know what the future will bring for increased traffic on Rt15 or Rt 9. But right now they are a nightmare and hazard. Loudon county roads are improving but putting the interest of a few people that live on rt 15 and rt 9 because they don’t want increased traffic is nuts. The traffic is here and it is only going to stay so lets solve the problem instead of trying to place blame and prolonging the situations.

Alex,

Raspberry Falls or the other 1 acre+ lot residential projects up there aren’t the cause for the daily gridlock.  They aren’t that dense. 

D,

I’d be happy to miss out on your sales tax dollars from buying a coffee on your way home or to the office for less MD plates when I am running errands or commuting myself.

D -  The pennies somebody from Maryland pays in Gas, Food, Shopping, is “peanuts” compared the amount of money a person who lives he pays in Property Taxes, Personal Property Taxes, and all the sales tax items you mentioned.

But default, a resident pays much more than a transient. At the same time, a road improvement costs “millions” of dollars. Something which is likely funded through a Bond sale, in which the residents pay off that bond through their taxes. Taxes which would be add onto the existing tax revenue stream that already exists. In effect, making residents pay for road improvements that benefit out of state residents.

And yes, the argument that one should move if they don’t like the commute is a valid one. If somebody spent the time and energy in choosing a home in a certain location, lets say Frederick, Maryland, then they should have also spent some time and energy figuring out the price they will have pay and traffic they’ll have to suffer before that accept that job offer in Reston,VA.

If they suddenly feel the traffic jam to reach work sucks, they should have either (a) Not bought a house in Maryland, but in Virginia. (b) Not accepted that job in Virginia, but found a job in Maryland. Or (c) decided they love their new found job in Virginia, so they sell their Maryland Home and relocate to Virginia to alleviate their traffic jam woes.

But to suggest that somebody in Maryland who has made this choice to live in MD and commute to VA via a 2-Lane backroad, only to be upset that its clogged with traffic and that Virginia should widen it at the expense of Virginia’s citizens, is down right arrogant. The same goes to those in West Virginia who commute via RT.9.

So if Marylanders want a better road in Virginia, they can either pay for it via a toll booth at the state line or a big fat check from the state of Maryland taxing all your Marylanders for the cost and sending that money to VDOT.

Otherwise, tough luck. My suggestion, moving to Virginia will be cheaper than spending gallons of gas to sit in traffic everyday.

Alby, you seem to have conveniently missed that MD residents pay plenty of taxes in VA.  They buy lunch, gas, groceries, etc.  They also flood the outlets every weekend.  Where do you think that tax money goes?  To MD? 

It’s also ridiculous to tell people they need to move to VA if they’re going to work there.  Where you buy a home is a much longer term decision than a single job.  I change companies every 3-5 years, it’s just the nature of my profession. 

And, for whatever it’s worth, when I lived in MD and worked in VA I did have to pay some VA state taxes.

While we’re at it, many Marylanders (there are few exceptions) need to learn how to drive properly instead of driving like maniacs. I was coming home from shopping on Rt. 15, and a MD biker blew past me…doing well over 55MPH…passing me on a solid, double-lined lane!

“Dude,” since you quote from the Constitution, how about reading it. I resent to loss of my Liberty and coming end to this great Republic.

IOTFAMPU, Atlas is correct.  It has been declared Holy Ground, in a cooridor 10 miles wide from Gettysburg to Monticello.

It is a road historic for being a road, and that’s why it can’t function as a road anymore.

Get it?

As for “move to Montana”, well, I guess that would be easier than expecting the Luddites to move to the 18th century.

So yes, I guess it is MUCH better for the Luddites to successfully petition the government to return the service level to a pre-industrial time.

Will, is Lloyd’s taking any bets on who will buy that unbelieveably energy inefficient costly Met office, now that the UK has had to slash a lot of its green government programs because they are BROKE?

Atlas Shrugged, dude you are some kind of warped.  You seem to really hate the government and are a slave to the blatherings of Ayn Rand written 50 years ago.  Maybe a cabin in Montana would suit you better and Loudoun County, VA.

It is no mystery about why Route 15 traffic is so bad! Blame the Loudoun BOS who approved those housing subdivisions on Route 15. Elysian, Raspberry, those boring houses on the west side of Route 15…they are the ones to blame for adding to the woes of Route 15. And forget about Route 287 as a back up, the fine folks in Brunswick are as dumb as Loudoun was and are building the 1500 home Brunswick Crossing subdivision..real smart..speaking of Loudoun and Route 287, check out the abhorrence going on in Lovettsville thanks to the demented mayor, Walker, who thinks Lovettsville has arrived because it can build cheap, econoboxes like the rest of Loudoun…hooray Mayor Walker!!

MD Driver2: — Move to Loudoun and all your woes will be over. Its your choice to commute to/from Maryland. So if you don’t like the traffic, relocate or find new employment on the east banks of the river.

Don’t expect people in Loudoun to increase our tax burden for your benefit. If you want to benefit from the abundance of employment in Virginia (cause VA is business friendly and MD isn’t), its time to live in Virginia and start pumping that income you earn into this state.

Listen to RH’s quote, “I’ve read several comments about MD’ers moving to Loudoun to avoid the traffic”.  I’d suggest you do the same MD Driver2.

It can’t be expanded, right?  Because the GOVERNMENT just declared it Hallowed Ground, no?

Why not do as PA does they had rural roads and they built roads to bypass and did it over the mountain Rt220 example this would take traffic off rt 15 - and yes Maryland drivers I sit at the light at 15/Lucketts Rd each day morning and afternoon - many run the red light daily or God forbid someone is going North and wants to turn on Stumptown Rd and there are cars behind them - the Right turn lane is not a go around you idiots - you wait for the car to turn you DONOT CUT OFF CARS THAT ARE TURNING ON LUCKETTS ROAD - I HAVE ALMOST BEEN SMASHED NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE OF YOU IDIOTS

Wow, I guess all the VA traffic into Maryland should pay tolls and be subjected to the same attacks as the VA residents post here against MD drivers. I travel 15 each day to VA and see an equal amount of VA cars crossing into MD.  Or maybe we should go back to the middle ages in Eurpoe where every bridge had a toll and every road had a toll and there was no such thing as commerce ourside of your own village!

I get what some are saying about the MD commuters, but the road isn’t just busy during morning and evening rush hours, yes that is the worse times but the road is a pain and over capacity during the day hours and the weekends too. The road is being used by many, whether it is locals or out of state people passing through.  I’ve read several comments about MD’ers moving to Loudoun to avoid the traffic, then you get all the other whiners complaining about building more houses.  The bottom line is that the road should be widened, it’s only going to get worse and cost more in the future.  Get it done!!!

@M -  I know that feeling. Maybe the county should offer a reward for turning in residents who are getting around paying their personal property taxes. Maybe 25% off your taxes for turning in a tax cheat.

That reminds me, those tax bills should be showing up within the next few weeks.

Blow the bridge.  I’d be fine driving out to 81 for my trips back home to NY.  It’d be worth it to keep those MD plates off the local streets during rush hours. 

Of course some are Virginia residents just evading taxes…like at least 5 of my neighbors.  Been living in Leesburg for 2+ years and still have MD plates.  There is also a Montana plate, Kentucky, and a couple other states.  I feel like I am the only sucker who registered their car in Virginia and pay my double car tax sometimes.

@Atlas Shrugged -  You gotta blow the bridge @ Brunswick too, else everybody will continue to use RT.15, then hang a left onto Lovettsville Road until they reach Lovettsville and the Berlin Turnpike.

I’d vote to “preserve” the history of Rt. 15 is these jokers would vote to “preserve” my tax rate.  Also, I agree with Martin, blow the bridge at Point of Rocks.  LOL!

I like the simple comments made by Mike G and Sam.  I don’t travel into MD all that often but when I do I despise the thought of what might be awaiting me on 15.  I know it is hell for the people that commute on it during the week.  For that matter trying to get home from a weekend away on a Sunday afternoon or evening is hell.
In regards to the lack of quality of the politicians, I have one thing to say.  These so called politicians are super gloried graduates of their HOA communities.  The rampant incompetence of these ‘associations’ are simply spilling into or local politics.  History?  History is owned by a people, not the land and most of these so called Loudouners have no idea about the good people that once lived in the county.

The projections of 40,000 vehicle trips per day on Rt 15 ignore what even Lloyd’s of London says will happen to oil prices;

  “We are heading towards a global oil supply crunch and price spike. International oil prices are likely to rise in the short to mid-term ... creating a price spike prompting drastic national measures to cut oil dependency.”

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/891/

Too much traffic will be the least of our worries…

@FedUpWithLoudounSupers — “I would like Loudoun to widen Route 15 from Leesburg to Point
of Rocks to alleviate the traffic congestion.”

Good luck with getting the rest of Loudoun to approve that Bond request. Muahahahahah…  I think its pretty clear, you want Rt.15 improved to alleviate traffic and I want it to remain as is and force people to adjust to the new reality that one side of the Potomac isn’t going to pay for other side of the Potomac to abuse our infrastructure at our expense.

Now if RT.15 needed to be improved because of local Loudoun traffic, then I’d be in agreement with you. But as long as RT.15 remains the pathway for out of state folks to use and abuse, then pouring a single nickel into that roadway is money down the drain.

You cite how making rt.15 wider will solve traffic problems. But you couldn’t be farther from the truth. It will only create more traffic. At one time the Toll Road didn’t have any traffic on it, but today its a traffic jam. They even added lanes, but people still in traffic. Why is that? Because as the roadway improved, it could support more development, which only increased the number of cars on the road. The same will happen to RT.15. All those farms along RT.15 will quickly turn into 1000/home neighborhoods dumping more vehicles on the roadway that you think will get better if you widen it. Hahahah, only a fool would believe traffic will decline if only the roadway was improved.

Hey Alby, here’s where your arguement fails.  Wait for it….... 

I live in Loudoun. And yeah, I do think Loudouners and Virginians should foot the bill to widen Route 15 to the Potomac.  I could care less about Marylanders.  It’s their state and they have their own issues.  So, your ability to explain is so very vaild (as you put it), but my ability to comprehend is not.  Perhaps that is because you haven’t explained diddly to me.  Let me dumb it down for you so perhaps you will “comprehend.”  I am a Loudouner and I would like Loudoun to widen Route 15 from Leesburg to Point of Rocks to alleviate the traffic congestion.  Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?  Geez- maybe you should run for Board of Supervisors, you make about as much sense as they do.  I pay VA taxes, do you fail to comperehend that?

@FedUpWithLoudounSupers -  Why should we focus regionally, when nobody regionally is going to be paying the bill?

You cite the need to widen the road, but you leave out who is going to pay to widen the road. And my argument is very valid, despite your ability to comprehend it. Those who pay the taxes to fund road construction do not benefit from pouring millions into widening RT.15 so that those in Maryland can enjoy a smooth trip to/from Maryland. And yes, they can just up and move if they don’t like the commute. Its A Choice to get a job in Virginia knowing you live in Maryland and will have to commute. Its foolish and arrogant to think that Virginians should foot the bill to accommodate choices that Marylanders are making.

Your senseless argument is akin to me moving in behind your house, throwing a party everyday, and telling my guests that the best way to reach my house is via your driveway and yard. Then I’ll cry bloody murder that you aren’t fixing up your driveway and yard to meet the demands of my party goers.

Now if Uncle Sam wants to step in and fill up the coffers at VDOT to widen RT.15, more power to them. Be you’ve got to be crazy if you think Virginians and/or Loudouners should be paying to improve RT.15 for the benefit of those in another state. Now if Maryland wants to send Virginia a check so their citizens can have an easy commute, by all means, pay up. Otherwise, forget it. Everybody in Maryland can commute via the Federally Funded Interstate (I-495) to reach their jobs in Loudoun or Fairfax.

The whole VDOT and planning people do not have a clue. A new bridge will never happen nor will widening 15 yet we all know the traffic will continue to grow. They need to start to think of rail system between BWI and Dulles and which could relieve the western DC problems and start working on the governments to force telecomutting. Until that happens in 2040 the problem will not get better

spade, I placed “grassroots” in quotes because real grass roots spring from the bottom up.  They are not hatched in a strategy session by a nonprofit who then pays people do develop the maps and flyers, and commissions a new shell group to distribute them.  Astroturfing is a hallowed tradition in Loudoun, and you really need look no further than the Piedmont Environmental Council.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth?  A whole different group, right?  Well, considering their Director is routinely listed on the PEC’s tax forms as one of their (PEC’s) tope five highest paid employees, and the CSG’s donations and finance are handled through PEc, well….uhh…

The Campaign for Loudoun’s Future?  Also different, right?  Lots of different groups (of which Mr. Hines and the “new” group against transportation were at least four).  Well, since Ms. McGimsey was paid to create that campaign (some of the groups had names before they had members) even though she identified as a concerned citizen only, until the tax forms filed her as…one of the PEC’s top five highest paid employees, AND the PEC handled their donations and finances too, well….uhhhh…

They have a new one about the Chesapeake Bay too.  PEC is only listed as a member, but it was put together by…a student fellow of PEC’s summer internship and fellowship program.

See how it works?  I am not a group, and no one pays me to post.  That’s one big difference.

————————————————-

alby, they can’t move here—remember, NO NEW houses, NO new roads, and for God’s sake NO KIDS.

We WANT jobs.  Just not people to live, drive or raise families here!

yikes

Alby, one problem here (your sarcasm and stupidity aside.  You need to stop thinking locally and focus regionally.  Just telling people to “up and move” is ludicrous.  If the so said person you refer to could afford to live in a certain place, they would. You think they enjoy long commutes home at night? 

The real solution here is widening Route 15 to the bridge and then splitting the costs with Maryland and Federal funds to build the additional bridge.  The whole concept of preserving American heritage is bunk.  There is nothing along Route 15 between Balls Bluff Road and the Potomac River that anyone cares about preserving.  What is so sacred along Route 15 that the Supervisors can’t agree to widen the damn road????

Dave’s got it right.  It is inevitable that Rt. 28 in Darnestown be connected to 28 at Rt 7 in Va.  Van de Venter island offers solid footings and streamlined construction for a bridge across the Potomac, up Broad Run, into 28.

@RH —-  And who is going to pay to widen that road? Virginians? Are out tax dollars going to be burned up to alleviate the congestion caused by Marylanders who choose not to live in Virginia? Its those who commute from Maryland and West Virginia who clog up RT.15 and RT.9, yet we Virginians have to pay the price tag to widen the roads for their benefit?  I think not.

I support the road being widened if a Toll Booth is setup to collect funds from the people who are causing the road to be widened in the first place. If those in MD and WV don’t like it, they can buy homes in Loudoun, pay taxes state and county taxes, and leave a much larger chunk of their paychecks in the local community, than what comes from their lunches and shopping trips.

Intra-State roads don’t count, because when VDOT does the widening, all the state pays for it. And its for the benefit of those who live in the state. But when you are asking that VDOT (ie: All of Virginia) pay to widen a road that benefits those out of state because they leave behind a few dollars in sales taxes, that would be a foolish economic investment.

My vote is for a self funding tollbooth at the state line to fund a state road use by out of state people or leave the road as is. When it turns into gridlock, those folks in Maryland will decided the smart decision will be to move to Virginia. The economic boost of them bringing their paychecks to Virginia will far exceed the nickels and dimes we get from them buying starbucks.

Imagine, the average home in Loudoun yields $300-$500/mo in county taxes. They far exceeds the pennies we get from any other transient tax.

15 needs to be widen!!!!!!  I live in VA and have to deal with the road quite a bit and it is ridiculous.  Yes, MD’ers use the road a lot but they shop in our area, eat while they are working, and the businesses that they work at provide taxes.  That is such a lame and stupid argument to not fix a road that is way over capacity, dangerous, and needs fixed.  What if FFX county decided not to widen 50 in Dulles South because it is used mostly by people in Loudoun.  If every jurisdiction in the DC area had the dumb idea we would be in worse shape than we already are.  WIDEN IT!!!!!

Alby, the solution to your solution is then crystal clear - terminate the jobs in the DC region that these commuters are travelling to, and then they will not travel through Loudoun. It’s soooo darn simple. Please get on that, I hate the traffic too!

No Outer Beltway. If People in Maryland don’t like the choke points of bridges getting to/from home and work, I suggest they relocate to Virginia and help with the tax load. Building a another bridge across the Potomac doesn’t alleviate traffic, it expands traffic. How long until new development lines the outer beltway and it becomes gum’d up like the current beltway?  Then we’ll be hearing cries for a 3rd beltway.

The solution to this mess is for people to relocate from Maryland to Virginia and cut down on the commuting log jam on RT.15 and RT.9.

Ms. Munsey, what with your regular commenting on just about every governmental topic on multiple media outlets, are you yourself not a ‘grassroots’ activists for the POV you stand on? I’m not attempting to say right or wrong about anyone, but pot->kettle=black?

And please name the group that make the claims you wrote of, I’d really like to know more, as the long-term transportation future of the County is an interest of mine (and others I’m sure), but am not I guess ‘in the loop’ enough to decipher your allusion. Thanks :)

J662West, don’t forget that “grassroots advocacy groups” have blanketed every neighborhood from Leesburg to Great Falls telling them “an outer beltway is COMING THROUGH YOUR HOUSE unless you SEND US MONEY and SEND THIS FORMLETTER TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT NOW!!!!”

Doesn’t matter which route is discussed.  They are all the wrong place for a bridge, ever.

At least for some “grassroots” activists.

@LuckettsResident - Relocate before its too late. Otherwise, invest in a helicopter to fly you between Lucketts and Leesburg.

The Loudoun Board of Supervisors.  Do they ever do anything that help’s the residents of Loudoun?  They really are a bunch of morons.  Widen Route 15 you idiots.  None of you live off of Route 15, so why do you oppose it so?  For the preservation of history?  Seems to me Gettysburg has 4 lanes of traffic going through there and they seem just dandy!  I truly hope Loudoun votes in some Supervisors that actually help the residents instead of passing legislation like the Limestone Overlay distristand and the “Alternative Septic” testing measures which is really just a scam for the County to line their pockets.  Wake up Loudoun!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suppose there is one plus to this issue, however congested RT.15 becomes, it’ll be commuters from Maryland who will suffer. And since they don’t vote in Virginia or Loudoun, who cares? Let them eat cake.  lol

@Martin - If you take out the bridge @ Point of Rocks, everybody will swamp the Brunswick Bridge and the RT.340 Bridge. Brunswick and traffic from 340 will feed everybody onto RT.9 with the West Virginians.

I think its just a matter of time before Congressman Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland and Frank Wolf of Virginia get together to secure funding for RT.15 to be expanded between Leesburg and RT.340. The money that flows between MD and VA via RT.15 is more important than between VA and WV on RT.9. Not to mention, the WV folks can use RT.340 into Virginia which drops them onto RT.7 in Berryville. But none of them like to take that road into Northern Virginia because it adds 30/mins to their commute.

I do believe that having a new bridge spanning the Potomac at Rt 28 or elsewhere has been explored for at least 30 years.  Unfortunately, the real problem is getting the State of Maryland and Montgomery/Frederick counties to agree to a new regional bridge/road network.

Another solution - blow the bridge so no one crosses at Point of Rocks.

I’ve got a solution to solve the problem. Install Toll Booths @ RT.15 and RT.9 and have a toll rate that adjusts depending on traffic load. Then use that money to fund road improvements. Virginia Taxpayers should not fund the choice of people to leave Virginia for Maryland and West Virginia. They should remain in Virginia and add to our economy.

There is a little know option to using RT.15, and that is to cross over the bridge @ Brunswick, MD into Virginia.

I think the bridge over to Maryland from 28 would be a great idea.  I really think they should keep 15 the way it is for rural and history. But a bypass would be great if they would approve it and build it soon!!!.  It would make our lives easier.  I live in Lovettsville and I have my choices to go, but 15 is my favorite and fastest. I leave early in the morning and early in the afternoon.. Otherwise I am stuck

What about route 9, are they ever going to get that bypass approved?

Easy solution discarded many years ago: bridge over the Potomac at Rt 28 through to I270. Solves many problems all at once.

I’d like to once again thank the NVTA for stating the obvious.  Good work guys.  Go get back to work on trying to sell the HOT lanes as a “win” for the average Virginia commuter.

Sam:  Well put, couldn’t have said it better myself!  Hines doesn’t have a clue, and one trip up thru MD. and PA. on route 15 would indicate the current stupidity of the situation regarding the 2 lane situation in Loudoun.  If they want to preserve the historic nature of the route then trun it back into the wagon trail historians wax poetic about.  C’mon people!  It’s 2010 not 1910!

You mention Hines (complaining we shouldn’t do anything to the roads) 8 times, and Chase (recommending improvements) only twice. Now how about a nice editorial recommending more “roundabouts” as the solution for Route 15?!?

Everyone who works a job and has to drive Route 15 KNOWS it’s a no-brainer that 15 needs widening. Guess who “doesn’t have a brain”? And just how “green” is all the exhaust coming from slow traffic?

Logical and reasonable decisions are beyond the meager capabilities of the current Board of Supervisors.  You can hit them with all the facts in the world and they will still rule for short term political expediency instead of the long term needs of the citizens.  Loudoun is blessed with one of the most feeble collection of politicians I’ve ever seen.  No matter who your supervisor is in the next election vote for “the other one”.

“Hines believes the alliance is a road-building coalition with a plot”?

No “overstated” “horse crap” there!

Traffic is already really congested on 15N north of Leesburg. Two lanes would be great and help Fire-Rescue be able to respond to emergencies quicker

Speaking of Route 15 bad traffic, did anyone see the guy lying in the median on the bypass tonight near Route 7?  Looked like they were getting white sheet treatment for him.  Anyone die on ROute 15 tonight?