Legislation giving the General Assembly oversight over tolls on I-81 was introduced by Sen. Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg and Sen. John Edwards of Roanoke in the Senate (SB 754) and Del. Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah in the House (HB 1516). This oversight is critical as VDOT has ignored ongoing protests over highway widening and toll plans from lawmakers, local governments, business, farm and citizens groups throughout the corridor over the past six years.
The Virginia Department of Transportation’s $11 billion plan to add multiple lanes to I-81 remains very much alive, despite VDOT’s announcement earlier this month that it had broken off contract negotiations with STAR Solutions. Instead of the $13 billion tolled truckway proposed by STAR, VDOT is trying to lock in an $11 billion plan to use tolls to expand I-81 to eight or more lanes over two thirds of the corridor—including 79 percent of the Shenandoah Valley. Valley legislators insist that they would not support such a costly, destructive approach to I-81 congestion and safety problems.
VDOT has an application to toll I-81 pending before the Federal Highway Administration.
The tolls would provide more than enough money to overbuild the highway, at great cost to western Virginia’s residents, economy, rural landscape and community character, and its natural and historic resources.
The Message is simple:
VDOT's $11 billion highway expansion is too much for the Shenandoah Valley. Legislators need to be able to reassert their authority over tolls and VDOT's wasteful plan.
|
Ask Your Senator to Support SB 754
The Senate Transportation Committee approved Sen. Obenshain's I-81 toll bill on Jan. 31 by a 14 to 1 vote. If you count all the Senators who have signed on to sponsor the bill, we are just three votes away from approval. But 10 votes are needed on the Senate floor to make the bill veto proof. The Senate is expected to vote on early next week.
VALLEY RESIDENTS: Call Sen. Emmett Hanger by Monday and ask him to vote for the I-81 toll bill. He is the only senator on the I-81 corridor who has not signed on as a sponsor of the bill to require General Assembly approval before a toll can be placed on the highway. Tel. 804-698-7524.
OTHER VIRGINIANS: Ask your Senator by Monday to support SB 754. Tell your Senator that his/her colleagues in the Shenandoah Valley need to be able to address the financial and other impacts of VDOT's wasteful $11 billion plan to create the New Jersey Turnpike in Virginia. The Senate phone list is available at http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate+for+WMembershipHome?OpenForm
Ask Your Delegate to Support HB1516
The House Transportation Committee will take up HB 1516 on Tues., Feb. 5 at 8:30 am in House Room B. Del. Todd Gilbert introduced this bill, which is being amended to match the Senate version. It would require General Assembly approval for any toll on I-81.
VALLEY RESIDENTS:
Please call Del. Chris Saxman (R-Staunton) and Del. Fralin (R-Roanoke) by Monday evening. They are the only Shenandoah Valley members of the House Transportation Committee. Ask them to speak for the I-81 toll bill.
Numbers: Del. Saxman, 804-698-1020, and Del. Fralin, 804-698-1017.
OTHER VIRGINIANS:
Call your Delegate by Monday evening, to let them know you support General Assembly oversight of tolls on I-81.
This is particularly important if your Delegate is on the Transportation Committee (Del. May (Chairman), Saxman, Carrico, Cosgrove, Gear, Oder, Rust, Hugo, Scott, E.T., Fralin, Tata, Frederick, Loupassi, Jones, D.C., Ward, Ebbin, BaCote, Marsden, Valentine, Brink, Toscano, Nichols
Click on the links or go to the House phone list at: http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView
|
