Gray Column: Not HOT on race

There are plenty of reasons why not to like the idea of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. 

In the past, I have highlighted a few of those reasons; for example: the bad idea of paying more as traffic congestion gets worse.

But now the Arlington County government has come up with a new reason. One I don’t think anyone else has thought of: race

Yes, not only is building HOT lanes a bad idea that punishes motorists, but now it is racist, or should I say, a violation of civil rights to minorities. 

According to a lawsuit filed by Arlington County, the Federal Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Transportation did not conduct a proper environmental analysis and as a result, “their
actions also constituted civil rights violations as they discriminated against minority and low income communities.”

The thought here is that people who would use the HOT lanes on Interstate 95 would be coming from the Spotsylvania and Stafford areas where there are more whites than minorities. 

The result means more minorities in the main lanes while more whites, with higher incomes, in the HOT lanes. 

But according to a report done by Fox 5 news, the basis of such a claim is at best misleading. 

U.S. Census numbers show that Arlington County’s population is 80 percent white and with a higher median household income than Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford or Spotsylvania county. 

So the idea of there being wealthier whites in the counties using the HOT lanes is false.

The only thing worse than HOT lanes coming to Northern Virginia would be to stop those lanes based on race.

Those lanes are not only bad for minorities, they are bad for everyone. I go back to the whole idea of a graduated toll based on congestion as an example. People, not just minorities, should not be
penalized because of bad weather or an accident tying up traffic. 

I do share the vigor of Arlington County about not wanting the HOT lanes in Northern Virginia — I could think of better ways for private/public monies to be used on traffic — but their tactics leave much to
be desired.

I was glad to see that Prince William County did not choose to participate in the lawsuit after finding out about the claim of civil rights violations in the suit language. Hopefully all the other jurisdictions will
decline to participate as well.

Throwing in civil rights violations as a way of stopping public projects that effect an entire community actually does more harm than good.

It gives the impression that minorities are always looking for a special privilege of exception, rather than just inclusion on matters of public policy.

In talking with commuters for a couple of years about HOT lanes, I have never heard anyone make the argument of race or civil rights violation as a potential outcome.

As I have mentioned in this column before, our country and our community have to mature if we are ever to have a legitimate discussion about race and what part it plays in our country. 

That discussion starts when race is not the centerpiece, but one of many items on the table.  There is a time and a place where race should be at the forefront and where legitimate accusations are not
only relevant but absolutely justified. 

However, I will go out on a limb to say stopping the HOT lanes is not the issue where accusations of racial discrimination apply.

In short, all our local governments should be against HOT lanes — not because it is a race thing but its just bad public policy.

Davon Gray works in Washington and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at .