Letter to Theodore Morrison Jr. Chairman Virginia State Corporation Commission

Letter

August 3, 2007

Mr. Theodore Morrison Jr.
Chairman
Virginia State Corporation Commission
PO Box 1197
Richmond VA 23218-1197

Dear Judge Morrison:

I want to share with you excerpts from some of the e-mails I have received from moms, dads and other commuters in the region since my July 26 letter asking the State Corporation Commission to delay acting on the recommendation of staff to approve the request to increase the toll on the Dulles Greenway until the General Assembly has an opportunity to review the agreement governing the operation of the road. They aptly express the sentiment of area residents. Enclosed you will find copies of the complete e-mails, with the names and street addresses of the individuals redacted.

"I have found the current increases already too much to bear on a yearly basis - let alone the new proposed ones. I am already off the Greenway. Instead I sit on Route 7 and wait to get on Route 28 . . ." -- Leesburg

"Though I travel on the Greenway as little as possible, a toll increase of that magnitude would make even an occasional use a hardship." -- Leesburg

"I used to take the toll road to work. However, with the last set of toll increases, I barely use it, much less remember the last time I was on it. If the rates are raised again, I am strongly considering turning in my Speedpass and avoiding the toll road completely. I know doing so increases pollution and adds to Virginia highway congestion, but it's cheaper to drive further and longer." -- Ashburn

"They have already priced me out of the market. I can't imagine paying close to $5 to drive 13 miles." -- Lovettsville

"It is simply greed. The expense of using the Greenway is shameful, especially compared to other toll roads in the country." -- Ashburn

"I feel like those of us who live in this area and have to use the road are being held hostage by the owners of it! If I had an alternative I would use it and never use the Greenway. Another toll increase is not only wrong, it flies in the face of fairness and I sure don't think those of us who welcomed it when it was being proposed years ago would have supported it had we known greedy owners were going to impose such rates on us now." -- Ashburn

"My daughter purchased a townhouse in Round Hill and budgeted for the Greenway only to have the toll raised each year. She is at the point she can't afford to use it to drive to work which will mean she will have to use Route 7 and further increase congestion." -- Purcellville

"I can ill afford to take the toll road at these prices and am already reverting back to Route 7 as much as possible. It is highway robbery, literally." -- Leesburg

"We feel it is a giant rip-off. We avoid it unless it is critical that we use it, and then we do so very grudgingly. I think a lot of folks feel as we do, and the Greenway would possibly be more profitable if they actually considered reducing tolls." -- Waterford

"I find it ridiculous that the toll is so exorbitantly high. I have stopped using the Greenway and only use the portion of 267 past the Greenway. The Greenway is extremely convenient but I will go out of my way and extend my commute to avoid giving my money to the company that owns the Greenway. . . . You are absolutely on the mark when you say increasing the fees will negatively impact the surrounding roads -- I am already living that example." -- Ashburn.

"We do not use the tollway because it is already too expensive. If they would reduce the toll, more people would use it and you end up collecting more money. Making the tollway more expensive will ensure fewer people use it and that over crowded roads like Route 7 would become ever more crowded and dangerous." -- Leesburg

"As a Realtor in Loudoun County (and Northern Virginia) this is a real concern for new residents considering moving to our area." -- Lovettsville

"This is just one of the problems with privately-owned toll roads, particularly when they are owned by foreign individuals." -- Bluemont

"Has the SCC ever not agreed to a toll hike requested by TRIP II? As a resident here for the last 12 years, it seems like the state has given the owners of the road everything they've ever asked for." -- Broadlands

The agreement governing the operation of the Greenway is seriously flawed. Consumers are not protected, and concerns are now being raised that if this exorbitant increase is approved, it could set a precedent for tolling on other public-private partnerships involving state roads, including the proposed HOT Lanes on the Capitol Beltway.

Certainly my preference would be for the outright rejection of the SCC's staff recommendation approving the proposed increase. But at the very least, I urge you to delay taking any action until the General Assembly can review the original legislation governing the operation of the Greenway. Virginians deserve better.

Best wishes.

Sincerely,

Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress

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