Traffic Rant

Not only did the idiots in the state of virginia decide to go with a contract to widen the beltway in an area that really is only bad in the morning for a few mile stretch - and don't get me started on how many trees they've cut down since last fall. Trees that have been there for over 30 years. But then as I'm reading more and more about this project, which only benefits the company building the wider road, because hmm, it is called a HOT lane, and to use it you have to pay a fee. By the mile. AND, if the income generated enough doesn't meet a certain amount, guess what? the state has to kick in the difference. To add insult to this, in the article one of the dopes who actually signed on for this said "oh, I didn't know that was in the contract". Arggggg, don't you people R E A D????

Now I find out that sometime this week, after the cut down more trees, they are going to start tearing down a bridge. The bridge has worked just fine for the past 20 years. and it has been there over 40, just got widened. I take the ramp onto the highway every morning and every evening. I know that from my house to the beltway is 10 minutes if there is no traffic and if there was an accident anywhere in the area and my road is the bailout route, that it may take 15 or 20 minutes. Still, not a big deal. NOW I learn with my morning coffee that they are closing one half of the bridge. Three lanes. the other bridge is to handle all the traffic both east and west for at least a year, then the open the new side and close the current side. Are they widening it? of course not. they are just making it different to allow for a toll booth to get into the new HOT (i.e. pay for us) lanes. I may start drinking this morning.

Not only would I never use HOT lanes because it is against my general principal to pay for any road my tax dollars have already paid for, but now for at least the next 2 years I've got to either leave earlier to go to work, and don't know how I'm going to get home. I can suffer from terrible road rage and i hate mean people and trust me people around here are not only mean, but selfish and poor drivers. They already feel they are entitled to not have to sit in a line of traffic, and I see accidents getting way far worse.

but then when it is all said and done, there will be less trees (and really, I'm not a tree huger, but I do love them) my taxes are going to go up to pay for this stupid idea, and the company building the road is going to reap a HUGE profit for the foreseeable future.

I haven't figured out how to see the initial contract but I hope to god that somewhere in it is a limit to how long we're stuck subsidizing the company earning the profit.