Sen. John Warner (R-VA), supported by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va 10th District), has sneaked a provision into the new transportation bill, which exempts the Wiehle Rail project from federal cost effectiveness requirements.

It could now cost up to $2.4 billion to build Metro to Wiehle Avenue.  This means tolls could go up AGAIN!  But the Federal Transit Administration has been rendered powerless to reign in costs, thanks to this exemption.

We must denounce this maneuver by Sen. Warner on behalf of the Dulles Rail Lobby - notably big Tysons Corner developers.

Read this Post article, Va. Rail Plan Exempted From Stricter Cost Gauge about how the language in a federal bill benefits the Tysons Project.

Read this "Dear Colleague" letter by Jennifer L. Dorn about the New Starts rating and evaluation process, posted as a docket on the DOT website. The above Post article refers to this letter.

Dear Friends:

On May 22, 2005, Virginia doubled the tolls on the the Dulles Toll Road, and virtually all of that money will go toward an  extension of Metro to Wiehle Avenue in Reston -- which might now cost $2.4 billion!  That's more than it cost Virginia to build the Springfield Mixing Bowl and the Wilson Bridge replacement!

This new price tag means higher tolls on the Dulles Toll Road.  That's because the tolls are the only source of revenue Virginia has for this project which is not capped.

Tolls could go as high as $2.25 each way.  But Dulles Rail will NOT alleviate gridlock and will bring MORE development in Tysons and Reston -- hence, more cars on the roads!

Unless you write the Governor, Congressmen Davis, Wolf and Moran, and our Sens. Warner and Allen, tolls will increase even higher.  Please 'Help us stop this "Great Train Robbery."

How?

Boycott The Toll Road one day each week.

Sign up to join notollincrease.com.

Send a letter to politicians urging a change in the ruling.

Is there another source to pay for Dulles Rail than using tolls?

Will tolls stay on the Toll Road forever? Politicians promised in the 1970s that the tolls would be removed in 2015, but if we the taxpayers don't stop Richmond from using our toll money, tolls will stay on the Toll Road til 2037 to finance the Dulles Rail extravaganza.  Add that to the price of gas and use of the Dulles Greenway, and suddenly, it becomes exceedingly expensive to commute.

Are there better solutions?

Read our proposal to put HOT lanes on the Toll Road and I-66.