Prince William says no to HOT lane suit

Prince William County leaders will not join Arlington’s lawsuit that opposes toll lanes on Interstate 95 and 395.

The suit, filed in August, claims “white flight” from the inner suburbs to places like Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, along with unchecked growth in those areas, is driving the need for High Occupancy
Toll lanes.

Additionally, it claims HOT lanes would attract “primarily Caucasian residents” who drive alone, and blames leaders of those jurisdictions for poor transportation and land use planning.

“It’s completely unsubstantiated, it’s unfair, and doesn’t even make sense since outer suburbs are more racially diverse than Arlington County itself,” said Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-At large.

Stewart said he was unaware of those claims when he told reporters this week Prince William County could be named as a plaintiff in the case.

The announcement follows a resolution signed by Prince William County business leaders and the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance calling for new taxes and fees to solve the state’s growing
transportation crisis. It also states public-private projects like the HOT lanes will not do it alone.

Overall, Arlington’s suit claims the state was granted a “categorical exemption” that allows the project to continue without required public health and environmental impact studies.

Arlington County Attorney Steven MacIssac said his office used census data that shows more whites live in the outer suburbs, and would use the lanes. However, anyone on lanes would contribute to air
pollution that could affect minorities who live along the highway corridor, he said.

“Because we think the project is so poorly designed, what’s going to happen is you are going to have gridlock in those lanes and in the surrounding local streets, contributing to the adverse air quality,”
said MacIssac.

The findings were included as a requirement from the National Environmental Policy Act, he added.

Arlington Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Barbara A. Favola, D-At large, said the suit is not in jeopardy without Prince William County’s support, and that she will continue to push for a solution that calls for more mass transit.

“In the past, we didn’t link land use with transportation like we do today, and we need a solution to these lanes which will promote more transit use, not just single drivers,” said Favola.

If built, the lanes would be free to carpoolers with three or more inside the car. Transit buses would also be able to use the lanes for free.

Elected officials and Prince William commuters have voiced concerns that if the lanes are not producing a profit, carpoolers will be charged to use the lanes.

The county will still support Arlington’s health and environmental argument, but Stewart said Arlington could have stopped the HOT lanes two years ago at a meeting of the Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board.

“We needed one more vote to stop HOT lanes dead, and Arlington voted for HOT lanes. When you look at Arlington County, they’re not consistent,” said Stewart.

Prince William may file a suit of its own against the lanes. Leaders there are concerned about smaller lane widths on the proposed lanes inside the Capital Beltway, as a third lane will be squeezed into
the existing two, said Stewart.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.