Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) has agreed to investigate the toll structure along the Dulles Greenway, according the Delegate David Ramadan (R-87), who requested the investigation.
Elected representatives at the state, local and federal level have long railed against the tolls on the Greenway, which are nearly $5 each way at rush hour for a two-axle vehicle. With the exception of an exist near Leesburg, all toll road drivers must pay the same toll, whether driving from exit to the next or the full length of the road, which runs from the end of the Dulles Toll Road to Leesburg.
Several elected officials have called for TRIP II, a subsidiary of Australia-based Macquarie Group, to institute distance pricing, in which drivers would only be charged less for shorter trips along the road. . State legislation permits TRIP II to operate and maintain the road at a profit.
“I am pleased that the SCC has responded to my request for an investigation into the toll rates on the Greenway,” Ramadan said. “I am looking forward to seeing this investigation move forward. Further, I will continue to stay involved until distance pricing is implemented.”
Delegate Ramadan first filed a complaint with the SCC Dec. 7 in response to TRIP II’s request for a toll increase. Ramadan’s complaint accuses TRIP II of violating state law with its current toll structure.
A TRIP II representative did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
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A state takeover would eliminate the protection that the SCC currently provides; they limited this last Greenway toll increase to 2% ($4.80 to $4.90 on the peak toll). Compare that to the 55% increase MWAA approved in December. MWAA's DTR tolls will soon make even the Greenway's peak congestion toll look cheap- see the graph here: http://notollincrease.blogspot.com/2013/01/virginia-purchase-greenway.html
Our trusty leaders won't admit that, of course, and both parties have told their news media outlets to be silent about the financial facts. Many, many millions of those Billions of dollars of overcharge are sloshing around. See it for what it is - it's the carrot on the stick for our so-called 'leaders'. Both parties, and individual politicians, are fighting for control of that money - not to return it to the public, of course, but to distribute it to the 'right' people, in order to get quid pro quo and revolving-door rewards later. Ever notice how you have YOUR party's newspapers, and the OTHER party's newspapers? Well, both parties are telling their news outlets to be quiet - because neither party wants people to see what is going on, or that money might ALL go away. People, use your heads. You need to see the game for what it is.