NO NEED: The Bellomo Study in 1989 concluded that a north-south road such as a Western Bypass (currently known as the WTC) would not take a significant amount of traffic off the Beltway. 91 percent of the traffic in the study area is east-west or radial. Instead of relieving congestion on other roads, it would increase traffic on sections of east-west connectors such as Rt. 7, Rt. 50, and Rt. 29--up to 43 percent in some cases.
NO NEED: Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service have stated that the need for this highway has not been demonstrated. The current WTC study shows that such a road would carry an average of 37,000 cars a day, counting both north and south traffic, in the year 2020. That´s about what many two-lane roads carry today operating at satisfactory service levels. Only 2700 of those trips would be between Rt. 95 as far as Dulles. The other 35,300 would be short trips of just one exit to the next.
NO NEED: Dulles Airport has exaggerated its cargo tonnage 365 times over. Who would be silly enough to ship freight to the U.S. by boat to Norfolk, then haul it by truck to Dulles, to reship it by air? Absurd! Further, the study itself does not address any special need at Dulles for such freight.
NO BYPASS: There is no bridge to Maryland, nor will there be. Maryland has invested millions in the purchase of developmental rights in western Montgomery County where Virginia´s chosen "power line" corridor would route the traffic. Maryland has stated that such a highway would bring unwanted developmental pressures to areas where development is not consistent with their land use plan. Virginia should recognize the same about her outlying counties.
NO VALID DATA/ANALYSIS: The WTC study itself has used inflated demographic data which is out of date and skews the results. (It assumes 1980s growth rates not seen in the 1990´s, and never seen in Western Prince William County). Further, it left out such planned improvements as overpasses along the Rt. 28 corridor and the widening of I-66. Also, it ignores intermodal (mass transit) transportation.
NO PRESERVATIONISTS: No dedicated preservationist would advocate that a highway be built in the narrow strip between Conway Robinson Memorial State Forest and Manassas National Battlefield Park or through agricultural and forestal districts. Yet the Bypass Alternatives Review Committee (BARC), which claims to be comprised of preservationists, is promoting exactly that.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL: The concept of "preserving" or "setting aside" a corridor is contrary to the American concept of private property rights. If a government wishes to "preserve" or "set aside" something, it does so by purchasing it at a fair market price. (Reference the United States Constitution, Amendment 5!) A government does not "set aside" land and expect homeowners to "freeze" for an unspecified period of years until someone decides to built a road. Once such a corridor is drawn on a map, each property on or near that line is penalized in the marketplace by a lower price and a slower or no sale.
NO TRUTH: It has been stated that "there is nothing on the power line." There are no homes immediately under the power line, for the same reason that you can not build a road immediately under the power line. In fact there are 1530 residential structures situated within the power line corridor, plus 104 non-residential structures, 10 public facilities, and 52 historical and cultural sites!
WHAT IS LEFT? We have an extremely expensive project (both in terms of money and the human environment) which does not address its stated need. The studies performed by the Commonwealth do not support the project, and the outcome of the studies was predetermined. (Reference Governor Allen´s statement of support for the implementation in mid-March 1997.) Clearly there must be another objective, and that can only be A DEVELOPER´s ROAD at TAXPAYERS and HOMEOWNERS EXPENSE.
Speculators have used up their raw material of large tracts of land closer in and are looking for new horizons in outlying counties. Such a western road has been an important agenda item for the Northern Virginia Round Table (NVRT), which has networked with the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA), the Washington Airports Task Force (WATF), and their Bypass Alternatives Review Committee (BARC), the Greater Washington Board of Trade (GWBT), and the Gainesville Area Improvement Network (GAIN) with overlapping board members and overlapping memberships comprised heavily of those i the construction, financing, real estate, and development communities. The common thread between them is Hazel and Dewberry; two names synonymous with development in Northern Virginia. In fact, Hazel has interest in property near the top, bottom, and middle of the WTC Corridors!
Return toThe List