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Health & Fitness

The Northern Virginia Bi and Tri County Parkways... It's Time to Weigh In!

Tired of your commute? Unless you really enjoy "books on CD" and Satellite Radio, you might want to let the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance know how you feel. Read this post to see how.

I'm a fiscal conservative. I hate to see the Government spending "my money" on things that I believe are outside of their mandate or scope. I complain about waste in government and projects that don't make sense. That being said, I have no problem with the state of Virginia spending "my money" on the Northern Virginia Bi and Tri-County Parkways. It's a good idea.

Prince William County, Virginia lives within one of the most vibrant economic zones in the United States: the Washington, D.C. metro area. Prince William and Loudoun County are among Virginia's fastest growing areas. Fifty percent of Virginia's population growth in 2000-2010 occurred in Northern Virginia. This trend is expected to continue to 2030 and beyond. Unless we want to "stop people from migrating to Northern Virginia," we need to build the transportation infrastructure necessary to support our future population.

Now the bad news: "We're number one!" That would be number one nationally in congestion. Anyone who commutes to a job near or inside the beltway on I-95 or I-66 (I am a veteran of the "beltway blues") doesn't need much explanation about what this means. The delay in building the Bi and Tri-County Parkway has contributed to this congestion. The state of Virginia has done the math. We need to balance the transportation grid. The Northern Virginia Bi and Tri-County Parkways will contribute to this goal.

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Yes, they will spend some of "my money" on this project. As long as they spend it wisely, I don't mind. The state of Virginia has maintained its AAA bond rating for over 70 years. Governor McDonnell has proven to be a good steward of "my money" preventing the state from joining other states in economic collapse. I see no reason to question the sound judgment coming out of Richmond to spend "my money" on improving "my commute." In the past, Northern Virginians complained that not enough of "our money" was coming north. I don't hear many complaints like that any more.

Sixty-two percent of Prince William County's employed residents travel outside of the county (and/or must cross the county) to work each day. Of that 62 percent, 22.6 percent spend 30-59 minutes and 39.4 percebt spend 60+ minutes driving to and/or from work. If you are one of those folks, married to or a family of one of those folks, or sympathize with the vast majority of Prince William County commuters, you might consider supporting solutions to relieve the gridlock. The next step in solving our "morning commute nightmare" is for the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to create a new Northern Virginia Corridor of Statewide Significance (CoSS) that includes the Bi-County and Tri-County Parkways. This doesn't result in actually "building anything." It simply establishes a priority to overcome the years of delay that has created the gridlock that those 62 percent encounter every morning. This will occur on May 18, 2011.

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Years ago (1974 to be exact, when I lived in Alexandria and worked at the Pentagon), Prince William County was a world away and people who lived in Fairfax County complained about their commute. As Fairfax County's infrastructure improved and businesses migrated there to take advantage of metro, the Parkway, and other transportation solutions Fairfax County residents found themselves driving to Reston, Fair Lakes, Tysons Corner, or other business centers. Prince William County became the next "bedroom community" to provide affordable housing to folks who commute "downtown." I suggest that "it's our turn." These Parkways will attract economic growth, businesses, and create local jobs. The best way to alleviate the traffic problem and improve the quality of life for Prince William County residents is to take people off the road thanks to local opportunities thus relieving congestion for those who commute.

If you are a commuter and hope to see something besides the slow roll of the car ahead of you for the rest of your life, I strongly suggest you contact the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to let them know how you feel by sending an email to Carol.Mathis@vdot.virginia.gov.

This topic has advocates on both sides. It has been my observation that the folks against transportation solutions in Prince William County and Northern Virginia aren't part of the 62 percent of the commuting public. They are organized, active, and vocally expressing their displeasure with this initiative. They remember the Prince William County of 1974...  the one I encountered when I worked at the Pentagon.  Folks, that Prince William County is gone. I understand how those folks feel; however, fighting progress only increases the pain for "the rest of us." Unless you enjoy your morning commute, you might want to balance the scales a bit. If you decide not to "engage," don't blame your future commute on me.

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