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I-66 Expansion--Get the facts

No transportation/road use studies have been done to support the widening. This decision is based on anecdotal evidence.
Induced traffic is a real phenomenon. Consider the case of I-270 in Maryland.
The bike lane between Jacksonville Street and Patrick Henry will be eliminated to put in a new lane
Not a priority of NoVa--this is an external initiative being pushed to the front
Extra lanes will not improve air quality by improving traffic flow. Just the opposite.
Northern Virginia needs a comprehensive, regional solution. If I-66 needs to be expanded, it must be done as part of a regional solution with community consensus. Not a "quickie fix" for political gain.

What alternatives are there to highway widening?

Express bus service NOW along I-66/Dulles Corridor and to Tysons Corner
Extension of metro along these two routes
Light rail along Columbia Pike, Route 1
HOV/Carpool restrictions on I-66 in both directions
Work closely with Fairfax County and Loudon County's "Smart Growth" initiative to find a lasting solution

The Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation is a grassroots organization that is working to find a regional comprehensive solution to the traffic woes of Northern Virginia. Please visit the website for more information. You do not have to be an Arlington resident, in fact we WANT to involve people from other counties.

Or, if you'd rather tell the people involved exactly what you think, here are some options:

Call the General Assembly in Richmond and voice your opinion!

The Constituent Viewpoint hotline Phone #: 1-800-889-0229 January 12 - March 11: open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each legislative work day.

If you want to put your feelings in writing, here are copies of the letters I have sent to Governor Gilmore,our Representatives on Capitol Hill, Shirley Ybarra (VDOT), Arlington County Board Members, our Representatives in Richmond, and a separate letter to Frank Wolf. Please feel free to use these as the basis for your letters.

Some things to consider as you draft your letters: Background to the I-66 Controversy

Gilmore and Representative Frank Wolf tell us that widening I-66 will improve the environment by reducing cars idling in traffic. But consider the case of I-270 in Maryland which was expanded three-fold, and is now just as choked with traffic as it was ten years ago. Is this what Governor Gilmore and Representative Wolf plan for Arlington? Editorial cartoon illustrating this point

We must make our voices heard, or decisions will continue to be made without our input.

"We are here to talk about promises … we are here to talk about restoring faith … restoring faith that when the Commonwealth makes a promise, that promise will be kept." (Remarks by Governor James S. Gilmore, The Virginia Promise, November 17, 1998)

The Coleman Decision is obviously one promise that Governor Gilmore and Representative Frank Wolf do not consider worthy of keeping.
Links to send e-mail or write letters

Virginia Department of Transportation
Governor James S. Gilmore III
Arlington County Board
Virgina Legislature
Chuck Robb, U.S. Senate
John Warner, U.S. Senate
Frank Wolf, U.S. House
Jim Moran, U.S. House
U.S. Secretary of Transportation