Arlington, VA (May 24, 2010) - On May 24, 2010, Audrey Clement, co-chair of the Green Party of Virginia, and John Reeder, convener of the Arlington Greens, filed a brief with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging an April 30, 2010, federal district court decision dismissing their suit to stop the widening of I-66 inside the Beltway.

The Governor's office recently trumpeted the fact that the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) had awarded a $10.2 million contract for the first phase of the so-called Spot Improvement Project, known as Spot 1. Clement and Reeder argued that VDOT misrepresented the findings of the 2005 I-66 Feasibility Study to justify the project, when it actually recommended end to end road widening. They stated that the decision to back away from the Feasibility Study's principal recommendation was based on political considerations rather than sound engineering. Clement and Reeder also predicted that the three (3) entrance to exit merge lanes to be constructed in Arlington County won't relieve congestion on I-66, because ninety percent (90%) of westbound traffic travels beyond the Arlington exits. They also criticized the fact that VDOT rejected seventeen (17) out of twenty-one (21) noise barriers recommended by its own noise consultant, and denied the public an opportunity to speak at workshops held in 2007.

Additional information on the Green Party of the United States can be found at: http://www.gp.org
Additional information on the Virginia Green Party can be found at: http://vagreenparty.org/
GPVA Press Secretary: Miriam Gennari