Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, for the better part of a year, has been defending his plan to add tolls to Interstate 66 both inside and outside the Beltway in two separate plans. However, on Wednesday he confirmed to WMAL he would not veto a bill passed by the General Assembly that would prohibit tolling on the highway.
“I’m not playing politics with this. Folks want to put a bill up, vote it down so they can say they voted against the toll, then hope I’ll veto it,” McAuliffe told WMAL. “I’m not playing their political games.”
House Bill 1 reads, in part, no toll shall be imposed on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway, and asks for alternatives, including adding more lanes, to be studied.
“Just widening 66 inside the Beltway alone won’t solve any problems,” McAuliffe said. “In fact, we just scored it. It scores way down on the metrics.”
McAuliffe’s decision not to veto the bill essentially removes any political cover for Northern Virginia delegates who would vote against the bill to appease constituents while knowing McAuliffe would, in turn, veto it.
“If both chambers vote against it, and the Northern Virginia delegation is against it, I’m trying to work in a bipartisan way,” McAuliffe said. He indicated he’s ready to move on to his next priority, which is a similar project on Interstate 64 in the Hampton Roads region.
He repeated his usual mantra, indicating HOV drivers would still be able to ride for free under his plan.
“The only change is, a single driver who is prohibited from going on HOV (today), can pay to stay on HOV,” McAuliffe said. “We have to have a comprehensive plan. I have a comprehensive plan. We could wait another 25 years. I’m trying to be a problem solver.”
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: CNN)
