Dulles Greenway Toll Increase Not Recommended By SCC Hearing Examiner

ASHBURN, VA — A senior hearing examiner for the State Corporation Commission recommended denial of a proposed toll increase for the Dulles Greenway.

Dulles Greenway's owners Toll Road Investors Partnership II is seeking increases to toll prices and must receive approval from Virginia's State Corporation Commission. The proposal calls for increasing maximum tolls from $5.80 to $8.10 during peak hours and $5.25 to $6.40 during off-peak hours. The toll road owner has also requested a streamlined process for considering and approving future toll hikes.

The report by senior hearing examiner Michael Thomas concluded the proposed toll increases would "discourage use of the Greenway" and are not reasonable to toll road users for the benefits received.

Loudoun County government took a stance against the toll road increase, believing higher toll prices would discourage users to take the toll road and cause congestion on public roads. The county says additional congestion on alternative routes would require roadway expansion projects at public expense. The county provided its own analysis to argue that drivers abandoning the toll road due to increases would more than offset increased revenue from higher toll prices.

During the public testimony, Chair Phyllis Randall argued that the higher toll prices would make the annual cost of using the Dulles Greenway $4,000 for commuters.

"Members of the Board of Supervisors, senior leaders in Loudoun County, and the people of Loudoun turned out to ensure the hearing examiner heard directly from the people who would be impacted by the proposed toll increases," said Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall in a statement. "The decision now lies in the hands of the commission."

"The hearing examiner's report brings us one step closer to rejecting the Greenway’s ridiculous rate increases," added Dulles District Supervisor Matt Letourneau, in a statement. "We've successfully changed the law to ensure an objective and legitimate review of the Greenway's rate increase requests, beaten back attempts to bail out the Greenway in the legislature, and fought proposed increases in front of the SCC using data and sound arguments."

During the hearing process, representatives for the Dulles Greenway shared benefits the toll road has provided, including reliable commutes, a well maintained road, safety with minimal crashes and economic development. However, they said toll road usage has been below expectations, resulting in not enough revenues to pay debt obligations. The company does not expect toll increases will allow Dulles Greenway to break even with positive traffic growth, but it would help pay down debt.

The report accounted for over 900 public comments from Loudoun County and surrounding areas. Most of the comments were against the toll increases, while "fewer than 10" supported a toll increase or limited toll increase."

Opposed comments pointed to toll road avoidance already causing traffic congestion problems.

"As an example of the public’s overwhelming avoidance of the Greenway, one only needs to personally experience the bottleneck at the [Dulles Toll Road] and Route 28 and other locations due to individuals avoiding the Greenway’s exorbitant cost, as well as Route 7 and Route 50 being severely congested as the Greenway has few vehicles," one comment read.

Others believe the toll increases are unrealistic for lower and middle class residents.

"Everyone I know goes well out of their way to avoid driving on the Greenway between the Sterling exit and Leesburg," another resident shared. "The general consensus is that the tolls are already ridiculously overpriced, especially as compared to the toll rates between Washington D.C. and Dulles Airport, and there are plenty of other good surface roads that can be used for free. Right now, I rarely use the Greenway. If the increased tolls are approved, I won’t use it ever."

On the other side, a resident shared reasoning for supporting the increases.

"Please approve whatever toll increases are proposed. Eventually, traffic will decrease and the owners will walk away once the venture becomes unprofitable to maintain," the resident wrote. "The Commonwealth will take over the roadway and lower toll rates will be subsidized by taxes - everybody wins."

Another resident who remembers when the Dulles Greenway first opened said there were the same negative comments about toll prices.

"It is a matter of choice whether or not we use the Greenway, and if we choose to do so, we should expect to pay a toll for the excellent drive the Greenway provides," the resident commented. "Every day we make choices on how we spend our money and our time. The Greenway should not be penalized on their rate hikes because certain persons do not want to pay for the toll."

All parties involved in the case, including Loudoun County government, can submit comments on the hearing examiner's recommendation by June 5. A three-member commission will get the case this summer, and the State Corporation Commission could make a final decision on the toll increase later in 2024.