Post by Logan on Feb 5, 2016 5:37:31 GMT -6
House committee approves state tolling policy, but battle continues over I-66
RICHMOND — Legislation to establish a state policy on where tolls may be imposed and how they are collected cruised through a House committee Thursday, but an attempt to find a compromise over tolls on a portion of Interstate 66 remains under construction.
The House Transportation Committee voted 15-4 to approve legislation proposed by House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, whose committee will consider it next for potential effects on the state budget.
The committee also voted unanimously to approve a companion bill that would authorize Virginia to negotiate reciprocity agreements with Maryland and other states to collect an estimated $21 million in unpaid tolls by motorists using the multistate E-ZPass system.
Four Northern Virginia Republicans voted against the tolling policy bill, citing the position taken by Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County, and the House GOP caucus during political campaigning last fall to oppose any tolls on I-66 inside of the Capital Beltway without widen-ing a portion of the road first.
Read more: www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general_assembly/house-committee-approves-state-tolling-policy-but-battle-continues-over/article_b326e437-c4eb-58eb-811b-db7b2cf245cc.html
RICHMOND — Legislation to establish a state policy on where tolls may be imposed and how they are collected cruised through a House committee Thursday, but an attempt to find a compromise over tolls on a portion of Interstate 66 remains under construction.
The House Transportation Committee voted 15-4 to approve legislation proposed by House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, whose committee will consider it next for potential effects on the state budget.
The committee also voted unanimously to approve a companion bill that would authorize Virginia to negotiate reciprocity agreements with Maryland and other states to collect an estimated $21 million in unpaid tolls by motorists using the multistate E-ZPass system.
Four Northern Virginia Republicans voted against the tolling policy bill, citing the position taken by Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County, and the House GOP caucus during political campaigning last fall to oppose any tolls on I-66 inside of the Capital Beltway without widen-ing a portion of the road first.
Read more: www.roanoke.com/news/politics/general_assembly/house-committee-approves-state-tolling-policy-but-battle-continues-over/article_b326e437-c4eb-58eb-811b-db7b2cf245cc.html