With Virginia state elections coming Tuesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) took to the radio to call state senate candidate Harry “Hal” Parrish (R) a liar after Parrish (who is currently the mayor of Manassas, Va.) released an ad attacking McAuliffe’s proposed tolls on Interstate 66, a main thoroughfare to and from Washington, D.C.
“He can’t talk about his record, so he’s out misleading and lying about the truth,” McAuliffe said during an appearance on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” program.
This begs the question, is Parrish truly lying? Not according to a project overview put together by the Virginia Department of Transportation and Department of Rail and Public Transportation. According to this overview, McAuliffe's proposed toll rates would tax single-occupancy drivers traveling east towards Washington D.C. $9 and another $8 on their drive home, indeed costing a commuter $17 per day. By 2021, they hope to impose a $13 toll on all vehicles with less than three occupants.
But will these tolls really do anything to solve traffic congestion on busy Virginia highways? Not according to state Del. James M. LeMunyon (R). Even though the proposal is currently focused on current high-occupancy vehicle lanes, creating what LeMunyon calls a "Lexus lane” will neither benefit working families nor reduce Virginia’s traffic congestion.
“All this does is put a toll out on this road during the rush hour that will turn I-66 into what you might call a 'Lexus lane,’ ” said Del. LeMunyon. “It’s only going to help people who can afford it.”
Virginia House Speaker William J. Howell agrees, calling the proposal “outrageously expensive” while pushing for the launch of a plan that would instead add new lanes to the heavily-used highway.
“We’re calling on the governor to start over,” Howell said. “We need real transportation solutions.”
You can see Mayor Parrish's ad below: