Toll Increase Sought By Dulles Greenway Operators

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The operators of the Dulles Greenway, TRIP II, plan to apply for a toll increase this spring.

Two-axle vehicles can use the Dulles Greenway for any distance for $5.25. TRIP II has not announced what their proposed toll increase will be. They have not applied for a toll increase since 2019.

The toll-increase application will be sent to the State Corporation Commission by April 28. The decision to apply for a toll increase comes a month after lawmakers blocked proposed legislation that could have changed how the Dulles Greenway operates.

Supporters said it could have allowed for distance-based tolling and cheaper fees. Those who opposed the bill, including some Loudoun County supervisors, were concerned that it could have allowed for automatically triggered toll increases in the future.

TRIP II officials said they had delayed seeking an increase as they lobbied for a state law that would change how tolls work on the Dulles Greenway. The Dulles Greenway is the only toll road in Northern Virginia that is not tolled based on distance.

Last month, the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate Transportation Committee approved motions that would change how the Dulles Greenway is governed. The Dulles Greenway operates under the Highway Corporation Act, which does not allow distance-based tolling. The proposed legislation would govern the greenway under the Public-Private Transportation Act.

The proposed legislation would change the governing authority for the Dulles Greenway, but it did not guarantee distance-based tolling.

The Senate Finance Committee blocked the legislation on Feb. 16.

Delegate Michael Webert told Patch that a toll increase could have been avoided if the proposed legislation was not blocked. Delegate David Reid shared similar sentiments. He told Patch he has created several proposals to lower tolls on the Dulles Greenway.

"The high tolls around Northern Virginia affects everyone’s cost of living, every day. It affects traffic in our neighborhoods, as people divert to neighborhood routes to avoid the high tolls, and it adversely affects the quality of life as parents are trying to take their children to after school activities or just pick them up from daycare," Reid told Patch. "For me, this has always been about putting money back in the pockets of my constituents — it’s disappointing that others don’t share the same goal."

Matt Letourneau represents the Dulles district on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. He told Patch he was concerned with the long-term implications of the proposed legislation.

Letourneau believed that allowing the Dulles Greenway to operate under the Public-Private Transportation Act could pave the way for toll increases in the future.

Currently, the Dulles Greenway must apply for toll increases through the State Corporation Commission. The operators can request a toll increase once per year, and the increase can not be negotiated.

Renée Hamilton is the CEO of TRIP II. In a news release, she said she is disappointed by what she views as efforts to prevent distance-based tolling.

"Drivers on other toll roads in the region pay based on the length of their trip. Drivers on the Greenway should be treated the same way," Hamilton said. "This bill would have allowed us the opportunity to lower tolls for everyone."

Phyliss Randall is the Chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.

"Obviously, everyone — and I mean everyone — wants to see the tolls on the Greenway lowered. In addition, we’ve hoped to see distance based tolling for years," Randall told Patch. "Were this the only consideration involved in this discussion, it would have been “slam dunk” decision to support legislation put forward by the Youngkin administration."

Randall and Letourneau shared similar concerns about the long-term effects of the proposed bill.

"Unfortunately, the Youngkin administration refused to have any other governing body — neither the General Assembly or the Loudoun Board of Supervisors — provide input, amendments, or even the ability to review a final agreement before it is imposed on the drivers of the Greenway," Randall said. "In addition, Loudoun would have lost significant tax revenue paid by TRIP II with no concrete assurances that the taxpayers would be made whole."

Letourneau noted that the proposed legislation did not guarantee distance-based tolling. However, he noted that Loudoun County's supervisors would be willing to discuss the idea.

"If they [TRIP II] have an idea to implement distance-based tolling, we're all ears," Letourneau told Patch.