To the Editor:
Organizations like the Sierra Club and Coalition for Smarter Growth talk about favoring mass transit and cleaner air, but their opposition to Beltway HOT lane proposals shows once again their lack of commitment to walking the walk. They offer no evidence to back up their claims that HOT lanes will increase congestion or air pollution because none exists.
HOT lanes are the best Beltway transit solution, offering fast, flexible, affordable express bus connections between Springfield and Tysons Corner. Studies by the Virginia and Maryland Departments of Transportation show heavy and light rail are very costly propositions that offer little measurable congestion relief.
Improving travel flow improves air quality by reducing the time spent idling in traffic, thereby reducing emissions.
Failure to expand Beltway capacity means more cut-through traffic and congestion at the end of driveways in the very neighborhoods in which the Sierra Club is inciting opposition to the HOT-lane proposal.
Robert O. Chase, president
Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance