The Virginia Department of Transportation is underway with public outreach on a proposed project to add HOT lanes on 1-66 inside the Beltway.
"While Virginia’s transportation planners are still in the midst of formal public hearings on rebuilding I-66 outside the Capital Beltway, they’ve also announced two public forums this month on the separate plan for the inside-the-Beltway portion," reports Robert Thomson.
"Both projects would create high-occupancy toll lanes. The key difference is that the Virginia government wants to add highway outside the Beltway while keeping pretty much the same asphalt inside it."
Thomson lists the questions raised by the public so far in initial evaluations of the I-66 project, most of which focus on the tolls. The article also provides insight into how the Virginia Department of Transportation is handling the public outreach for the project.
In an earlier article, Thomson reports from early public meetings about the HOT lanes proposal outside the Beltway, where local residents, especially from the Vienna-Dunn Loring area, "feel like they’re being asked to shoulder the burden on a program meant to accommodate commuters coming from far west of where they live."
FULL STORY: Virginia planners to discuss I-66 inside Beltway

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.

In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)