Del. Patrick Hope is hosting a public meeting聽on Saturday at Arlington Central Library auditorium (1015 N. Quincy Street) from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to discuss 聽the Virginia Department of Transportation’s planned聽聽—聽proposed changes to the highway inside the Beltway.
VDOT officials will also be in attendance to answer questions.
The planned features聽include turning the HOV lanes on I-66 between Rosslyn and I-495聽into to during weekday peak periods. These lanes would be open for anyone with three or more passengers or those who are willing to pay a toll. The new lanes would also not accept Clean Fuel license plates issued before 2006 as a way to avoid the toll.
The idea is to 鈥渄eliver free-flowing and more reliable travel,鈥� according to VDOT, but some Arlington residents have the changes. Arlington residents packed into the library鈥檚 auditorium in June to hear from VDOT staff about changes. A lengthy Q&A period followed with many residents expressing their displeasure toward the proposed changes. County Board member John Vihstadt was also in attendance.
Attendees raised concerns about the amount of traffic that would be redirected to Arlington streets as a result of the lane changes. Others proposed that VDOT allow Arlington residents to use the HOT lanes for free since they were supposedly paying for the changes without getting any benefits.
An Arlington resident has also started a group to oppose the changes. The聽听丑补诲 as of June 17.
