RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Tamara Neale 804-786-6458 Tamara.Neale@VirginiaDOT.org

CO-immediate May 17, 2004

PANEL HOLDS NEXT MEETING ON BELTWAY HOT LANES PROPOSAL MAY 20

RICHMOND - The I-495 Public Private Transportation advisory panel will hold its fourth meeting about the private proposal to build HOT (high occupancy toll) lanes on a 14-mile segment of the Capital Beltway in Richmond on May 20.

The meeting will be held at the Virginia Department of Transportation’s central highway building, 1221 E. Broad St., Richmond beginning at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 20. A live video link of the meeting will be held at the Springfield Interchange Office, 6400 Commerce St., Springfield. No public comments will be taken at the meeting. The public comment period was held during the panel’s previous meeting on April 29, and also through e-mail and written comments submitted since October 2003.

During the fourth meeting, the panel may reach its conclusion on the PPTA proposal to recommend to VDOT Commissioner Philip Shucet. The panel may recommend that he enter into negotiations with the proposer for a comprehensive agreement, or he not consider the proposal any further.

The construction firm Fluor Daniel submitted the HOT lanes proposal under the Public Private Transportation Act. Fluor Daniel proposed to build two HOT lanes in each direction from north of the Springfield Interchange to north of the Dulles Toll Road. According to the proposal, HOT lanes would be free to carpoolers, buses and emergency vehicles; cars carrying only one or two people would pay a variable toll to use the lanes. Large trucks would not be allowed to use HOT lanes.

No improvements can be made to the beltway unless they are part of a federally approved environmental impact study. Public comments on the revised environmental impact study will be accepted beginning next month.

The agenda for the May 20 meeting includes:

• Introduction and approval of minutes


• Regional traffic analysis - Ron Kirby, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board


• Qualifications and experience of PPTA team


• PPTA project characteristics


• PPTA project financing


• Public support for PPTA project


• PPTA project compatibility


• Other issues


• Final recommendations of the panel

I-495 Advisory Panel:

• Pierce Homer, Chair and Deputy Secretary of Transportation


• Julia Connally, member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board


• Kenneth Klinge, member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board


• Gerald McCarthy, member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board


• Leonard “Hobie” Mitchel, member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board


• Malcolm Kerley, P.E., VDOT Chief Engineer of Program Development


• Barbara Reese, VDOT Chief Financial Officer


• Tom Farley, VDOT Northern Virginia District Administrator


• Dr. Lester Hoel, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia


• Ron Kirby, Director, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board


• Young Ho Chang, Director, Fairfax County Department of Transportation


• Charles Badger, Assistant Director, Department of Rail and Public Transportation

For more information on the I-495 HOT lane proposal and the PPTA process, go to http://www.virginiadot.org/hot495