Letter To The Editor On I-495 NEXT Endorsement By Supervisors

The following letter to the editor was submitted in reference to a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors April 13 agenda item to endorse a letter supporting the I-495 Northern Extension Express Lanes Project. The opinions expressed are the author's own. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor on a local topic, email Emily.Leayman@patch.com or sign up to post on Patch.

There is a Secret BOS VOTE to Support 495NEXT on April 13, 2021. Please Write Immediately to all the Board of Supervisors to DELAY the VOTE until there is Proper Public Outreach & Notification…..Do Not BYPASS the Community !

There has been NO Community Notification of VOTE, even by Supervisor Foust. NO Proper Community Outreach & Notification of 495NEXT…of the Many Plan Changes, Impacts, and Lacking Mitigations. Is Only ONE Official VDOT Public Community Information Meeting, May 20, 2019, Enough ? NO.

495 NEXT is a STAND ALONE Proposed Project adding 3 New Bridges, 4 HOTLane to 495….and 3 Flyover ramps at GW. These are HOT Lanes and Flyover Ramps to NOWHERE….Only to INCREASED Traffic Congestion. Additional Merging Lanes will Create INCREASED Traffic Congestion at the 495 CHOKE POINT, at the GW Area... where New HOT Lanes must Merge. They will INCREASE the MERGE MESS & BACKUPS on 495, Local Streets, McLean CBC, Corridors 193-Old Dominion-123, TYSONS and Region.

Please write & Call the BOS NOW…Ask for DELAY of SECRET VOTE. Ask for Community Outreach and Public Information Meetings. Ask BOS to NOT BYPASS COMMUNITY!

April Georgelas