Citizen Opposition

By 1970, a group known as the Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT) was formed, and later incorporated. The group was lead by James and Emilia Govan, who lived within the Waycroft-Woodland Civic Association. ACT began meeting and planning steps to prevent the construction of I-66. They adopted what some considered to be delaying tactics. ACT drew heavily from talent within the community. For instance, many cartoons that appearing in the Arlington News during this activist period were drawn by Rudy Wendelin, of Smokey the Bear fame, who was a neighbor of the Govans.

The Govans recalled their early experiences in opposition to I-66 in their Oral Histories that can be found in the Arlington County Library.

"... we went to the early design hearing of September 29, 1970 (held at Washington-Lee High School) ... at that time we weren't opposed to the highway … didn't know enough about it and whether to oppose or support it … we were quite taken back that there were only engineers there … no elected officials from any level of government … we later consulted with the highway people in Richmond and asked about the noise from the highway … they said there would be a chain link fence - with ivy … we thought this was not a decision to be made behind closed doors by officials without serious public input."

Not all Arlington residents supported ACT. In fact, some polls suggested that 70% of Northern Virginians supported the construction of I-66. But with the successful halt to I-66 construction as a result of ACT's lawsuit, even the Washington Post, which was slow to pick up on the significance of Arlington's citizen activism, weighed-in in support of the actions of the coalition.

" … the passage of time has raised numerous questions about I-66 … by our new awareness of the ecology and the decision to build Metro … these will not repeal the automobile, obviate the need to find creative solutions to the problem of traffic or put the Highway Department out of business. But it does … justify the ruling of the Court that further work on the freeway be stopped until these questions have been duly considered and answered …"

Even with construction underway, a new lawsuit was filed by Arlington residents, this time by the environmental group Continued Action on Transportation and the Environment or CONTACT. This suit alleged that I-66 was being built for future widening contrary to the Coleman Decision 4-lane limit.

In making a decision on the CONTACT case, the Court relied on common sense to lead the Commonwealth's attorneys to admit that the I-66 right-of-way and overpass structures were being constructed to accommodate more than 4-lanes of highway. The Court's decision against CONTACT, however, was based on its assumption that the Coleman conditions, limiting the highway to 4-lanes with no provision for widening, were no longer valid since these conditions were incorporated in contracts giving money to Virginia. The Court also questioned CONTACT's legal right to bring suit.

Although the compromise 4-lane version of I-66 was eventually constructed, ACT played a pivotal role in making I-66 a more acceptable highway for the community. Emilia Govan perhaps said it best.

"We never had any qualms about being totally opposed to the road … we always took a no compromise position … (and) were criticized by many as being extremists … but others were articulating alternatives or other courses, so we didn't have to … I think our efforts contributed to the kind of highway (the least offensive) finally developed … The minuses are that it stimulated further development in the country side and I believe the pressure will be there to build it eventually into a bigger highway … but worst of all, the highway further locks us into an (undesirable) dependence on the automobile for our transportation needs …"