Richmond - Delegate David Englin (D-45) issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement from Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton that the state no longer plans to build High Occupancy Toll lanes on I-395:
“Today’s announcement that the I-395 HOT Lanes project will not go forward is welcome news and an important victory for thousands of Alexandria and Arlington residents whose neighborhoods and quality of life would have been harmed. I commend Secretary Connaughton for being responsive to our community’s concerns by finding an alternate solution to our region’s traffic mess, and also for working so hard to address the traffic challenges created by the Department of Defense relocation to Alexandria’s Mark Center. Congratulations to the many citizen activists throughout our community who made their voices heard in defense of our neighborhoods, and to the leaders who stood with them.”
Englin has worked closely for nearly two years with citizens in Parkfairfax, Fairlington, Shirlington, and the surrounding neighborhoods in opposition to the original I-95/395 HOT Lanes proposal. In addition to working to address environmental and design concerns with VDOT and its corporate partners, Englin has championed several pieces of legislation intended to impose greater accountability and environmental scrutiny over these massive public-private partnerships.
Regarding Arlington County’s lawsuit against VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration, Englin added the the following:
“While I will continue to push for greater accountability over similar projects, this new plan will no longer affect neighborhoods along the I-395 corridor, so I believe Arlington County’s lawsuit against VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration is now moot, and I hope we can move beyond it in short order.”
Connaughton’s letter to local officials detailing VDOT’s revised proposal can be found here.
Delegate David Englin is Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and is serving his third term in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he represents the 45th District, which includes parts of the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Arlington County. An Air Force veteran, Englin is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He serves on the Finance Committee, the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee, and the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. For more information, visit http://www.davidenglin.org.
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