New Virginia Toll Lanes Designed to Create Congestion
July 8, 2008 by Hersey · Leave a Comment
Illegal political contributions helped an Australian firm land a lucrative toll road deal that grants the company unprecedented power over Northern Virginia’s transportation future. Last week, Transurban wrote and asked state lawmakers to return checks that the Melbourne-based toll road operator had written in violation of federal campaign laws. But the deal these contributions helped bring about has already been finalized.
In June, the US Department of Transportation created a first-of-its-kind $1.6 billion financing package that consisted of tax-free bonds, loans and state taxpayer grants to support the project that will add a pair of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes to the Interstate 495 Capital Beltway just outside of Washington, DC. To this amount, Transurban only added $349 million of its own capital — less than the cost of interest — toward the construction of the toll lane.
“Move Over” Law Not Being Followed in Virginia
The law is on the books in 48 states, but 71 percent of Americans are unaware of its existence.
According to law enforcement officers, the need for motorists to be educated about the “move over law” has reached a critical point after four Virginia State Police troopers sustained personal injuries over the past three months from drivers who failed to slow down or change lanes.
Recently on Interstate 81 near Blacksburg when a VSP road officer had to leap into his cruiser and across the driver’s seat in order to avoid being hit by a tractor-trailer. The truck jackknifed after slamming into the trooper’s vehicle.
