#i-66

[istandonsnowpiles]

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[centrevillesentinel]

Shooting on i-66 Indicates a Larger Problem On Virginias Roadways

At roughly 1pm, on August 22nd, two drivers were involved in a dangerous road rage altercation. While driving on i-66, a 24 year old man identified as Daniel Serrano fired multiple shots at an unnamed driver. Soon thereafter Serrano was pulled over and taken into custody. He was charged on two felony counts, one for shooting into an occupied vehicle, and the other for the intent of malicious…

Shooting on i-66 Indicates a Larger Problem On Virginias Roadways

[rhobbusjd]

Virginia DOT to Ban Vehicles Valued Under $60,000 From Driving on Interstate 66

While some may find the new rules slightly authoritarian, Virginia officials say they're meant to ensure that commuters who meet the qualifications are given the best driving experience possible.

RICHMOND, Va. – In an effort to provide wealthy commuters with an exclusive roadway to and from the nation’s capital, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday that it will begin enforcing a new set of rules aimed at deterring middle and lower class commuters from using Interstate 66.

“If you drive a vehicle that, at point of sale, is valued under $60,000 then Interstate 66…

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[virginiatowncrier]

Virginia transportation officials are talking about the impact on neighborhoods and on traffic.

Commuters heading eastbound on Interstate 66 as it passes the Capital Beltway are driving on a highway that goes from three lanes, to four, to three, to two, to three, to two, to three, to two, then the Dulles Connector Road comes in to make it briefly four, then to three, to two and on into the District.

The drivers try to work their way into the best lane for their particular trip, which may involve positioning themselves for a through trip, getting in a lane most convenient for an upcoming exit, or getting out of the way of entering traffic.

Speeds and traffic volumes will rise and fall dramatically along the way, and there will be crashes.

There are plenty of ideas on how to fix one of the worst commutes in the D.C. region.

“I-66 is one of those roadways that’s no stranger to being studied,” said Renee Hamilton, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s deputy administrator for Northern Virginia. She was among the speakers at a Monday night forum in Ballston where the focus was on the latest study, this one preparing for the addition of a lane along four miles inside the Beltway by early 2020.

Click on the headline to read the full story. ~ The Washington Post

[virginiatowncrier]

The political war over tolls on Interstate 66 in last fall's legislative elections ended in armistice on Wednesday, when Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared he had broken the gridlock with a bipartisan coalition of legislators.

The deal that ends the war will allow tolls to be applied on I-66 inside the Capital Beltway to pay for an arsenal of improvements - from expanded mass transit to accelerated construction of a new eastbound lane on a 4-mile stretch of the traffic-clogged highway.

The agreement smooths the way for state transportation officials to negotiate a public-private transportation deal to widen a 25-mile stretch of I-66 outside of the Beltway - the highest ranked transportation priority in Virginia - without raising the cost of the $2.1 billion project and potentially raiding funds for other projects in the pending six-year plan.

"We are now fixing the most congested road in the most congested region of the country," McAuliffe declared in a news conference with House Appropriations Committee Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, and more than a dozen other legislators, including opponents of the original state toll plan for I-66.

Click on the headline to read the full story. ~ Richmond Times-Dispatch

[virginiatowncrier]

Proposed new funding for transportation projects in the Richmond region and elsewhere in the state could hit a roadblock if the General Assembly approves legislation blocking the use of tolls on a proposed expansion of Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia, the state’s top transportation official warned Wednesday.

Secretary of Transportation Aubrey L. Layne said Gov. Terry McAuliffe would not veto the legislation if the General Assembly adopts it, but the consequences could include a funding gap of almost $1.2 billion, even after taking away statewide high-priority funds that could be used to help finance projects in districts across Virginia, including six in the Richmond construction district totaling $46.6 million.

Layne also warned the House Appropriations Committee that other proposed legislation to prevent tolling on a current project to relieve congestion on Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway could undermine the state’s ability to finance the 22-mile expansion outside of the Beltway that is the highest-ranked transportation project in Virginia.

Click on the headline to read the full story. ~ Richmond Times-Dispatch

[virginiatowncrier]

A pair of Democratic Northern Virginia legislators say they will work to force state officials to use revenue from tolling on Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway to widen and improve that stretch of roadway.

The proposal by state Sens. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) and Jennifer Wexton (D-Loudoun) takes aim at the McAuliffe administration’s proposal to have localities, through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, decide on which projects should be funded by toll revenue. The proposal pushes off any discussion of widening for at least five years.

The delay does not sit well with Petersen and Wexton.

“It’s common sense that the tolls paid by drivers should go to road-congestion improvements first,” Wexton said in a statement. “Commuters need congestion relief now, so they can spend time with their families and not stuck in traffic.”

Supporters of the McAuliffe administration’s plan say widening is not needed now, and the funds should go to more pressing congestion-improvement needs across the region. But Petersen, a Democrat with a decided independent streak, called that contention “absurd.”

Click on the headline to read the full story. ~ Sun Gazette