Dulles Greenway Bill Passes Committee, Headed For House Vote

LEESBURG, VA — A piece of legislation designed to hold the owners of the Dulles Greenway accountable and make the toll road affordable for the average motorist is headed for a vote of the Virginia House of Delegates after it passed a committee on Tuesday.

House Bill 1832, which was introduced by Del. Suhas Subramanyam, would provide more oversight on the Toll Road Investor Limited Partnership II’s ability to increase the price of tolls on the Greenway, which is the only privately owned highway in the state. The bill would also allow the Virginia State Corporation (SCC) and Virginia Department of Transportation to ensure that toll prices don’t discourage local motorists from using the Greenway.

If the bill passes the House of Delegates, it will move onto the state senate. The bill passed the House Transportation Committee by a vote of 19-0 with three members not voting.

“This is a big win for the people of Loudoun County and for Northern Virginia commuters who want transparency and accountability on how toll prices are being set,” Subramanyam said in a statement following Tuesday's voice. “While there is more work for the Loudoun delegation to do to ensure passage, we are encouraged by the broad, bipartisan support from our colleagues in the General Assembly.”

Several lawmakers and Loudoun County officials announced earlier this month that they had partnered together in bipartisan support of the bill. Subramanyam and other proponents of the legislation said that the 14-mile stretch of tollway that runs between Loudoun County and Washington Dulles Airport has made the toll road unusable for many local residents due to the price of tolls. That issue has caused an uptick in traffic on local streets which have seen an increase in traffic because motorists are avoiding the Greenway.

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors chair Phyllis Randall said that increases in tolls in recent years have been both egregious and unfair. Current tolls for a two-axle vehicle on the Greenway are $5.80 during peak travel times and $4.75 during off-peak periods.

The owners of the Dulles Greenway have announced that they will seek to increase tolls by 6 percent to 6.8 percent between now and 2025. That would increase tolls to $7.90 in peak times and $6.15 in non-peak times.

In addition to the group that previously came together to support the bill, several other officials — including the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce — have pledged their support for the legislation. According to a published report on LoudounNow.com, Chamber Vice President Grafton deButts testified before a House subcommittee last week that toll prices have “demonstratively discouraged” motorists from using the Greenway.

The report said passage of the bill would change the thinking of local residents.

“If passed, the Greenway will become an economic asset for our community and not a liability,” deButts said, according to the report.