Hhmm...maybe this would help the toll road

For me, the complaint isn't with TRIP II. The complaint is with the state - that it did not plan to build an extension of 267 and instead it allowed a private company to do so in its place. I don't mind the state building a new road and charging a toll to repay the bonds without a profit margin.

The second shoe to drop will be when the Dulles Toll Road is sold to a private company to "help" pay for the Metro extension and the toll is increased to $3 one way.

Further, I don't buy the argument that toll increases on the Greenway are, in part, needed to pay for improvements to the road. Any improvements the Greenway makes should be self financed by the increased revenue the improvement brings in. Would you make an investment that did not bring you a return?

-Jim

 

Boomer-

I would disagree that your examples are comparable to the Greenway. Those are Turnpikes that traverse entire STATES (or Commonwealths, as it were), while the Greenway goes all of 14 miles. The sheer number of cars using those Turnpikes will far outpace the numbers using the Greenway- so they can charge less per car.

Look at the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston- 2 miles, $3 toll. It's only charged one-way, so in effect, it's $3 for 4 miles, or $0.75/mile. That's 50% more than what we pay on the Greenway.

So, you have to look at both sides of the coin.

If the demand on the Greenway is enough that they can raise tolls without losing too many customers, why wouldn't they raise tolls. It'd be foolish not to, from a business standpoint.

DcD

- - - - - - - - -
iPod 30GB
What are YOU listening to?

 

Right on! It is a business, a profit making venture, get over it. The owners don't owe us anything.

 

That road was built under the government's blessing. And still is under government oversight. The unfortunate fact is that Richmond does not care one iota about us and you will NEVER see these types of roads there in Richmond. [In fact they took the tolls off of I-(% in the early 90s].

If you think greed is good and the corporation can do no wrong look up Union Carbide in Bhopal, or at Big Tobbacco, or at Enron. It goes on and on. Corporations can not be trusted. The Greenway is proffiteering of of our misery. It's very existense means that no free road will be built in that direction. In fact we are probably looking at the end of getting anywhere fast for free [if you count 0.50 / gallon gas tax free] since all of the businesses are slobbering over the Toll road and HOT lanes. Business would not do that if there wasnt money it, so that makes the Greenways liars and Richmond either apathetic or idiots. Keep supporting the greenway and you'll be paying $30 a day to get to I95.

 

The Greedway is the just the beginning if the concept of allowing private companies to build and own roads continues to be supported in Richmond.

This is really a question of whether we should fund roads through taxes or user fees. All signs are that our politicians don't have the guts to figure out how to raise the funding through taxes. EITHER WAY WE PAY FOR THE ROADS. Personally I like the system we have had for decades where state and local tax monies are used to pay for needed roads and infrastructure. I don't believe that roads should be profit making ventures for private corporations.

Obviously the Greedway is going to be hugely profitable or the Aussie company would not have paid a huge sum to buy it. The state clearly will not restrict future increases in tolls regardless of how many people write to oppose it. Thousands wrote prior to the latest increase approval and it had no impact.

How much profit is enough for the private companies and who decides that? Perhaps if there was a set formula allowing a reasonable profit this concept would be workable. I predict we are paying $5 per trip by 2010 or even sooner. At that rate an average family will be spending well over $2,500 per year and some may be paying more than $5K per year if both commute daily (not counting weekends or evenings).

If we can afford that much in user fees for just one major road, why not pay for transportation infrastructure by raising taxes?

 

Looks Like the airport is poised to take over the toll road and building the rail system and to bring rail to Loudoun sooner then what has been proposed. They also are coming from a position of power since they own the right away. Personally I like this idea.

Link to the story http://www.zwire.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=15789973&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506035&rfi=6

Lee J Buividas

 

I agree. They have a huge stake in getting it done all the way out to Loudoun.

 

That's lack of synchronization of the lights more than anything else. There is no reason why the 'on demand' loops at Broderick and at the Shell station there should trip any faster than the lights at Pacific /Waxpool and Waxpool/Farmwell.

Those pairs of lights should be sync'd to allow traffic to flow down Waxpool for at least 2 to 3 minutes before cross traffic during the rush hours.

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Steve-
I don't know if you've noticed, but they've started building the restaurants next to the Embassy/Homewood Suites on Waxpool. Embassy has been crying for a traffic light at their entrance since they opened. I'm willing to bet that a new traffic light will be put there in the next year or two.
This is another case of bad design. Why did they allow these businesses to locate off Waxpool Rd rather than having the entrance from the Beaumeade Park? The piss poor planning in this county is embarassing.

 

Right on Vacliff!!! You took the words right out of my mouth!!! I've lived in Ashburn since 1988....I remember when Waxpool Road was a two lane highway.

 

That light is already in the works to be installed, welcome to even more gridlock on waxpool.
There is going to be a slew of fast food and several sit down resturants with most of the leases signed.

http://www.dupontfabros.com/pdf/brochures/ashburnRestaurantsBrochure.pdf

http://www.dupontfabros.com/properties/ACC_restaurants/

http://www.dupontfabros.com/properties/ACC_restaurants/#

Lee J Buividas

 

Mr Soltesz hits it right on the head:

Highway robbery
By Bill Soltesz, Ashburn
12/20/2005

Why do we pay taxes? We pay taxes so the government will provide services for us – the citizens.

One of government’s responsibilities is to provide transportation so we can go to work, take our kids to school, generally contribute to society and raise our families.

When the commonwealth of Virginia shirked its responsibilities and determined that it could not afford to extend the Dulles Toll Road from Dulles to Leesburg, a private citizen saw a great opportunity to make a bundle of money and convinced everyone to let them build the Greenway. Now, instead of paying a toll of 50 cents, we -- the citizens – have to pay a toll of $3.20 (starting Jan. 1 to use the Greenway and Dulles Toll Road). That is one of the highest tolls per mile of any road in America! And, we are paying it to an Australian company who owns the Greenway!

If the state had built the road in the first place, we would not all be victims of legal “Highway Robbery” like we are now. Where are all our tax dollars going?

But here is the worst part. The Richmond crowd is now considering selling the Dulles Toll Road that goes from Dulles to Tysons Corner to a private investor. So, instead of the toll on that portion the road being 50 cents, it will probably go up to $3.20, too. If that happens, a round trip from Leesburg to the beltway will cost $12.80.

I call on every elected office holder to put the needs of the citizens first, and oppose the sale of the Dulles Toll Road. Stand up for us! The whole deal will simply be a way to take money out of our pockets and put more into Richmond, which doesn’t seem very interested in helping us anyway.

 

There is no smart growth happening in Loudoun and it is going to get worse they are reacting to problems and not solving them before they happen.

A good land planner would not allow the hap hazard growth that is happening as we speak. Transportation has to be solved on a regional basis not just local. Loudoun is being developed like a big funnel with all traffic coming to a few roads rt 50 toll rd waxpool and seven.

More development will only make this nightmare worse. I am not anti development because I make a great living from it, but I am a realist and more development will destroy the quality of life here unless regional transportion issues are addressed and built first.

What is happening here is they build then stick thje existing residents with the problems they leave. More density in Loudoun without building the regional roads and schools first is destroying all that everyone enjoys here. ANyone that drives on 7 or 9 during rush hour way out in western Loudoun right now lives this nightmare everyday it is worse out there then it is on waxpool at the moment.

The answer is simple no more development without regional roads built first. No more no less.

Lee J Buividas

 

If a private highway company can figure out a way to make so much money on roads, why can't the state do it? The profits should be ours not some private investors. Better yet, the profits should be reduced, and in effect the tolls reduced. This thing seems turned upside down to me.

 

Another thing that gets me about all of this is the fact that why do we have to pay tolls (thinking Toll Road only not greenway) when other areas do not. Do the folks in Manassas have to pay for all the enhancements to Route 66? Do the folks in Fredricksburg have to pay for all the enhancements to 95?

I view the tolls on the Toll road as a tax. That is all it is. If Richmond wants to levy targeted taxes on us to pay for roads, then let's spread the love to the rest of Northern VA. Also, call it a tax and let me take my tax deduction for it.

I accept the Greenway since it is a private road but the state should not be using it in its assessment of meeting the needs for private citizens to transverse in Loudoun County. The state has the requirement to provide us with adequate roads.