Top 16: Tornado Hits, Smithsonian Fraud, School Rankings, Dulles Tolls and Mark Wahlberg

Top news of the week from our Patches around Virginia and DC.

  Patch has 31 community sites in Virginia and D.C. Here are some of the top stories from around the region over the past week.  16. Mark Wahlberg Visits: Actor Mark Wahlberg visited T.C. Williams High School on Wednesday morning for an assembly presented by Get Schooled, a nonprofit that aims to engage high school students in an effort to improve graduation rates and empower more students to achieve in college. “I had to work really hard to get where I’m at,” Wahlberg said. “And I don’t mind working really hard to try and maintain it." 15. Runner Pledges 30 Races: Arlington resident Lauren Bailey is halfway through a personal challenge that has been daunting and exhilarating — running 30 races in one year, the year of her 30th birthday. …

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Leesburg Couple's Commute Ends with Special Delivery

The Dulles Toll Road temporarily became a birthing suite during Monday's commute.

Letter to the Editor

LTE: Ramadan Complaint Targets Wrong Tolls

A reader suggests that Ramadan focus on reducing DTR, rather than Greenway, fees.

Dear Editor,  Del. David Ramadan (R-87) has announced that he is making a formal complaint against the proposed Dulles Greenway toll increase. Del. Ramadan is barking up the wrong tree if he is genuinely interested in securing relief from oppressive tolls … and he knows it. Responding to a Greenway toll increase request, Del. Ramadan demanded Greenway rates comply with Virginia code. FACT … Recently, the Greenway – the privately operated road west of Dulles International Airport – requested a 3.54 percent increase in the toll rate, or $0.14, which they are allowed by law. This 3.54 percent is what Del. Ramadan is complaining about. FACT … Over the next 13 months, Dulles Toll Road (DTR) rates are set to increase 55 percent to pay for the …

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Dulles Toll Road Rates Rise Again Tuesday

As scheduled, tolls on the on/off ramps and at main plaza to rise by 25 cents.

The cost of driving on the Dulles Toll Road is about to rise again on Tuesday. Beginning Jan. 1, the toll rate on the Dulles Toll Road will increase by 25 cents at the Main Toll Plaza to $1.75.  Toll rates on the on/off ramps will increase by 25 cents to $1. These amounts were previously set in a November hearing, but the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has deferred making a decision on tolls for 2015. There will be an additional increase in January 2014 to $2.50 at the main plaza. The toll increases are necessary, in part, for the Airports Authority to operate and maintain the Dulles Toll Road and to construct the Metrorail Silver Line, which will begin operating in Dec. 2013. While Phase 1 of the Silver Line is being built …

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A Local Champion for Dulles

Airport was at the center of former Senator Charles L. Waddell’s professional and legislative careers.

Leesburg Today recently published a series of excellent articles written by Margaret Morton about Washington Dulles International Airport to commemorate the airport’s 50th anniversary. In one of those articles, Morton focused on former Virginia Senator Charles L. Waddell, who was one of Dulles Airport’s greatest champions over the years. Those who are new to Loudoun County may not be aware of Waddell’s long political career – first as a member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors starting in the late 1960s, then as an influential member of the Virginia Senate for 27 years. As chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, then as a member of the Finance Committee, he used his influence to help fund improvements at Dulles, enact …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Chamber Wrong on Metro Funding

Activist opposed to tolls for Metro says the business community should pay to keep tolls low, not state or federal government.

Well look out folks, Tony the Chamber guy is back from his big win selling that shiny train to the trusting people of Loudoun. This time he is after, you guessed it, a tax increase to cover the tab for all these ambitious new projects. But before launching into a response to Mr. Howard, I want to say how glad I am that the President & CEO of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce is concerned about soaring tolls, as he should be. Why? Because tolls are just like taxes. They pick pockets and make people and businesses want to go elsewhere. Tony knows that. In fact I’ll bet he knows that SAIC, one of the largest employers in Tysons, is so excited to have a new Metro stop coming to their front door in Tysons that they are going to build the …

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Bob Bruhns

2:57 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Loudoun County was discussing a rail tax district in 2010, and then somehow it all fell into a memory hole until the eleventh hour in 2012. Clearly somebody wanted county taxpayers to pay for their windfall, and this is most likely still the case. Loudoun County residents and taxpayers should watch this tax district very carefully until it is enacted, because things like this tend to get trick, …   more ›

Letter to the Editor

LTE: Wrong for Tolls to Pay for Silver Line

A Purcellville resident makes his case for alternate funding of Metro.

I am against increasing the tolls on the Dulles Toll Road; particularly the plans proposed to use those tolls to finance Metro's Silver Line. It is unfair and appears to be targeted at a particular segment of people who happen to commute daily on the Toll Road or businesses that employ folks in the area. It is also unwise given wages are not keeping pace with increasing costs, especially those folks in low-pay or entry-level type jobs.  There is no guarantee that any sort of economic growth will sustain the development and maintenance of the planned extension of the Silver Line given business-preferred strategy to outsource jobs to drive down wages. If Metro wants to extend the Silver Line then Metro should pay for it from the revenues …

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Bob Bruhns

7:11 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

The burden wouldn't have been so bad, if the cost of Dulles Rail I and II was not 1.5 to 2 times what it should have been. It's too late to bring the Phase I costs down, but people should demand that the price of Phase II not be allowed to be the ridiculous near-double cost that we have been told. The rail tations appear to cost more than two times what they should cost; the parking garages are …   more ›

Two Dulles Toll Hearings Remain in Reston, McLean

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has planned the hearing to get input about proposed toll increased to pay for the Metro Silver Line.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced this past week that the public comment period has opened regarding proposed toll rate increases along the Dulles Toll Road to help pay construction costs for the Metro’s Silver Line project as well as road operations. Under proposal, the combined main plaza and ramp tolls would double from the existing rate to $2.25 for 2-axle vehicles over the next three years based on the following schedule: Informational about the proposed toll increases, titled "On-Line Open House," can be found at www.mwaa.com/tollroad. Public comments can be submitted online or through the mail through Sept. 16, click here for address, or in person at one of the hearings, which will be conducted in an open …

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Navid Roshan

6:36 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012

Paid for by sprawl developers in Hamilton Virginia! Onward west fellow cheap skates, let people who live in cities PAY FOR OUR ROADS!!!! We dont want to take accountability for where we live and where the jobs are, we want MORE mcMansions! We want more 8 lane highways paid for by general funds, we want more more more!!!   more ›

Letter to the Editor

LTE: Speak Up on Tolls or Lose Big

Loudoun resident makes the case against raising tolls for Metro.

What happens when you complain to MWAA about Dulles Toll Road tolls? That depends on what you say and whom you say it to. First, don’t be surprised when you go to a public hearing to find out you are being treated to a Dulles Rail, MWAA, Dulles Toll Road promotional presentation. [The first of three MWAA hearings on proposed toll increases to pay for Metro’s Silver Line is set for Sept. 6 at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn.] NoTollIncrease.org will be there to give you an opportunity to send a personal video message to the Virginia legislators who are hiding behind MWAA. Here are a few points you may want to make if you are opposed to toll increases: We also recommend that you demand answers from your Virginia legislators. Contact us …

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Dulles Toll Increase Hearings Set

Exhibits are available online and comments may be given via Internet or at hearing.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced this past week that the public comment period has opened regarding proposed toll rate increases along the Dulles Toll Road to help pay construction costs for the Metro’s Silver Line project as well as road operations. Under proposal, the combined main plaza and ramp tolls would double from the existing rate to $2.25 for 2-axle vehicles over the next three years based on the following schedule: Informational about the proposed toll increases, titled "On-Line Open House," can be found at www.mwaa.com/tollroad. Public comments can be submitted online or through the mail through Sept. 16, click here for address, or in person at one of the hearings, which will be conducted in an open …

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