How was the PWC Board meeting last night?
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Forum Name: HOT Lanes Discussion
Forum Description: Post messages regarding High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes here.
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Topic: How was the PWC Board meeting last night?
Posted By: ering
Subject: How was the PWC Board meeting last night?
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2004 at 9:41am
Hi-
I wasn't able to attend but I am hoping to get an update on how it went. Were the supervisors interested in what commuters were saying or are the HOT lanes a done deal?
Thanks!
Erin [:)]
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Replies:
Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 10:37am
Ha! Ha ha ha! Listen? Listen?!!
A couple of us spoke, but no, they didn't listen. Look at the article in the Fredericksburg paper.
End of discussion, folks. Slugs are going on the extinction list.
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Posted By: Bob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 11:58am
What disturbs me about the HOT situation is that it is being accepted that the only alternatives are 1) Do nothing and 2) HOT as defined by the two companies. We need to change this. Is VDOT brain dead or have they been paid under the table by these companies to not propose anything else? The decisionmakers (the Regional Transportation Board and BOS) need a whole range of options. Are these other ideas going to have to come from current HOV folks? We shouldnt have to, but if no one does, we get HOT lanes in current form.
My current thoughts involve some kind of toll lane system that leaves the current isolated HOV system alone and connects to HOT on the Beltway. If the HOT people are willing to add lanes to the Beltway to get HOT, why can't they also add lanes to 95 between Fred. and Dale City and leave our HOV lane alone? I am not saying this would work, but for heavens sake we need to discuss some options.
Bob
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 12:15pm
You have to read the proposal to see just how heinous a takeover this is: 1. it ends slugging, vanpooling, and carpooling, 2. it creates a road that is technically and unquestionably unsafe, as stated in their proposal itself, 3. it takes a free resource available to any person or business (weekends and nights) and charges for it, 3. it encourages sprawl by extending the pavement way past Fredericksburg, 4. it leaves the burden of violation enforcement still on VDOT's understaffed back, 5. nothing is to be guaranteed except Fluor's and Transurban's fees, and 6. it only encourages, does not incent or provide for, an expanded bus system (so that's someone else's problem,)... so on and so forth....
Anyone want to buy my house? I'm getting out of PWC.
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Posted By: slugger94
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 12:37pm
I attended the discussion in the evening. I was a little late but found out from another attendee that the discussion on the HOT Lanes actually took place during an earlier meeting in the day. I was also told that the two citizen speakers voiced against the HOT lanes.
I don't know about you all but I am very uncomfortable with the idea of these HOT Lanes.
As a slug community, I think we need to get together to discuss possible proposals to those in charge.
Admin, what you say, if you call a slug community meeting? Thnx.
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 1:03pm
I should have answered ering's first question above.
I spoke at the meeting and the BOCS looked at me attentively and nodded a lot. They appeared to be listening. One member, in particular, seemed to be in agreement with at least the gist of what I was saying (No Toll Roads) and I'm told this was probably Corey Stewart of Occoquan. He was the youngest on the board. The developers probably haven't gotten his name into their check-producing system yet. (Or maybe he's just smarter than the rest.)
Nonetheless, the proof remains in the pudding: the next day the PWC BOCS had a group hug with the equally befuddled Stafford board and declared their unanimous agreement that charging citizens tolls is a good idea. You'll find a link to an article describing this warm moment in one of the other threads.
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Posted By: ering
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 3:55pm
GREAT!!! It all sounds wonderful.
I am the wife of a cop (shift work) and mother of a toddler so my evenings are rarely free for meetings. I will, however, bring the screaming baby (they'll drop the idea altogether if I threaten to keep bringing her!!!) to the meetings if I have to. I am so disgusted by the entire thing. See ya PWC!!!
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 4:13pm
If you're the wife of a cop, wait until you hear this: inside the beltway, Fluor's proposal calls for three 11'-wide (substandard) lanes, a 2'-wide shoulder, and a 9'-wide shoulder, both sides up against jersey walls.
Imagine what it will be like for a trooper trying to write a speeding ticket or help a citizen on a 9'-wide shoulder. Imagine having to change a tire there. Would you even want to sit in your car on a shoulder next to three lanes of (supposedly) high speed traffic?
Safety is the reason VDOT opposed adding a third lane years ago. Guess they don't care about the troopers anymore. Or the public. Just the developers.
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Posted By: ering
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 4:28pm
That does make me very nervous - regardless of my husband's profession. Anytime I see a trooper get out of his/her car on the side of the road I cringe.
This is about money, pure and simple. I am just sick over it.
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Posted By: fed up
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 4:35pm
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Correct me if I am mistaken, but I thought the HOV lanes fell under federal jurisdiction. If this is the case, then how can the Boards of Supervisors approve the HOT lanes as they are being proposed? Wouldn't a letter writing compaign to our elected officials, both in Congress and in Richmond, be more productive? Maybe calls to different radio and TV stations as well. They've done enough stories on the slug system that the potential demise of the slugs would definitely be of interest to them.
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 4:45pm
No, the Feds don't own them. VDOT owns the highways.
No writing of letters is going to stop this project. Only loud public outcry will work. But the death of the slug won't mean anything to most people. Better to point out the hit to their wallets. The free HOV lanes at night and mid-day are Going Away Forever in about a year. That'll get some attention.
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Posted By: Bob
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2004 at 6:27pm
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It is my understanding that the Board(s) of Supervisors really don't have any say-so in this. One of the frightening aspects is that this Regional Transportation Board acts autonomously and can push through whatever they want. There is no voting, no approval by counties, nothing. They just recommend it and VDOT does it. This Transportation Board does have periodic meetings, but it has appeared to me that they dont advertize the meetings too much. I will try to find out when the next one is. I think it may be posted on VDOT site.
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Posted By: ering
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2004 at 10:13am
I would definitely think that someone has the authority to stop this. If the Fed can step in and tell VA to change its regulations regarding Hybrids I would think that they could step in and tell VA a road paid for by tax dollars cannot be switched to toll. There is more to this than what is being said. I do think that a public outcry would catch some attention.
Erin
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2004 at 11:14am
VDOT now officially backs toll roads (misnamed HOT) so I don't think one can look for help there, at least without a change of administration. Market-based "solutions" are bread-and-butter for the Republicans in charge in Richmond, but I doubt even the Democrats would be immune to the allure of laying pavement and claiming revenue.
Anyone notice Congressman Frank Wolf's ad on WTOP this morning that mentions, as a positive, that he "reduced restrictions on the HOV lanes"? Is that a reference to something on I66 or to the long-ago switch from HOV-4 to HOV-3 on I95?
One thing we could use is a solid counter-proposal. Remember, this all started as an unsolicited proposal by Clark, and then Fluor jumped in. No one asked for this. VDOT has no study that says this idea is going to reduce congestion. The RTA didn't ask for it, as far as I know. The District hasn't said anything. But the toll roads proposal is all anyone has to think about -- we need alternative ideas put forward, and a prominent citizen to help. A Congressperson, perhaps.
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