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Federal officials considering tolls at 14th Street Bridge
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(Andrew Harnik/Examiner)
The federal government feels tolls, such as the ones shown above, may help reduce congestion between Crystal City and the District, The federal government is considering adding tolls to the 14th Street Bridge, among other efforts to reduce congestion in the busy corridor between Crystal City and the District. No specific toll amounts were released during a public information meeting on the 14th Street Bridge study Tuesday. Another of the 43 options under consideration is charging drivers a fee each day as they enter the District’s downtown. Part of the study involves recording the ZIP codes of drivers crossing the bridge this month by photographing license plates, said Jack van Dop, a senior technical specialist with the U.S. Department of Transportation, who is leading the study. No money has been allocated to implement any of the ideas under study, van Dop said. If elected federal or local officials decide to implement some of the options, federal, Virginia or District funding could be provided, he said. The study is part of a total $35 million Congress has appropriated for incremental improvements on the bridge and its intersection with the George Washington Memorial Parkway since 2001, said Austin Durrer, spokesman for Rep. Jim Moran, a Democrat representing Arlington. Some of the other options include removing or changing some of the Interstate 395 and parkway on- and off-ramps between the bridge and the Pentagon. The final report will include an environmental-impact assessment of building new ramps on what are now parks. The study team also is looking into water taxis, extending HOV lanes and adding specific bridge lanes for buses and bicycles. The study is scheduled for completion in 2008. |
