Arlington, VA—The Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation (ACST) today expressed dismay over the latest effort to urge construction of an additional outbound lane for I-66 in Arlington County. Reps. Tom Davis and Frank Wolf today urged Gov. Warner to find the resources to widen I-66 and convene Arlington citizens’ groups to review widening proposals.

"ACST recognizes the need for new transportation solutions, but widening I-66 is not the answer," said John Bennett, President of ACST. "We simply cannot pave our way out of this problem."

Congestion is a serious problem on all major roads in the Washington region, including I-66. Even on a normal day, there are significant capacity issues, particularly during peak hours. But adding a lane to I-66 would not ease anyone’s commute for long. Rather, traffic congestion would likely worsen as the widened highway induces additional road travel and delays other potentially more effective solutions, the group said.

"Spending money on pavement diverts funds from more effective solutions, such as modifying and enforcing HOV requirements, upgrading Metro bus and rail, making spot fixes, improving response to traffic incidents, and charging tolls during peak-demand periods," Bennett said.

ACST released a white paper on "Alternatives to I-66 Widening" last month. It is available at http://www.acstnet.org/AlternativestoI-66Widening.pdf.

ACST, organized by Northern Virginia residents in November 1999, continues to play a key role in ensuring that local voices are heard on growth and transportation issues, particularly with respect to the proposed widening of I-66 inside the Beltway. ACST forums on regional transportation alternatives have attracted hundreds of area residents.

For further information, visit the ACST Web site at www.acstnet.org; contact ACST by e-mail at acst@postmark.net; or contact John Bennett at 703-522-4318 or Jason Rylander at 703-465-8519.