Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) last week expressed strong opposition to the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) Interstate 95 tolling plan, saying it would discourage economic development and increase costs for area businesses.
In letters sent to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Victor Mendez, of the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), Rep. Forbes also said adding tolling stations will disproportionately burden the citizens of the region who are unable to shoulder additional economic challenges.
"Many of the communities surrounded by the proposed placement of the toll facility are already identified by the Commonwealth of Virginia as 'economically stressed,' Forbes wrote. "Adding costly new tolls will exacerbate this situation by discouraging economic growth, increasing costs for more businesses, and making everyday travel more expensive for families."
Opposition to the tolling plan continues to gain momentum. To date, the local governments of the City of Emporia, Greensville County and Sussex County have each adopted resolutions in opposition to VDOT's proposed toll plan for I-95.
Last week, the residents of Stony Creek, Va., mounted a campaign against the tolls that included blanketing I-95 from Petersburg to Emporia with more than 5,000 "No Tolls on 95" signs. The Town Council also passed a resolution to get the governor to reconsider.
Photo Credit: Rafael Ramirez Lee/bigstock.com
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