MANASSAS, Va. — Danica Roem, the newly-elected Delegate for Prince William County, says she still needs some proof tolls for solo drivers on the new Interstate 66 express lanes inside the Capital Beltway will help improve commutes for people who live outside the Beltway.
The 33-year-old Roem is throwing herself headlong into advocating for commuters, even before she is sworn in as the first openly transgender member of Virginia’s House of Delegates.
Sitting down for a cup of tea and a short stack of pancakes at the Yorkshire Restaurant, on Va. Route 28 in Manassas, Roem said she is hearing from constituents whose lives are being affected by the new I-66 toll hours, and the at-times exorbitant cost.
When I-66 tolling began Monday, it became illegal for solo drivers to be on I-66 inside the Beltway, between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., without paying the toll, which peaked at $40 Tuesday. Prior to tolling, single drivers were prohibited from driving on the interstate from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
“They’re telling me at 6 o’clock in the morning, they’re sitting in bumper to bumper on 66, coming up to the 495 spur,” Roem said. “If you have to be on 66 at 5 in the morning (to avoid paying a toll) that becomes a quality of life issue.”
Roem’s pancakes got cold on the table, as she fielded phone calls from other lawmakers discussing strategies of dealing with the controversial I-66 tolls.
A month ago, Roem, a Democrat, soundly defeated Republican Del. Bob Marshall by a 54-45 percent margin, in the 13th District race. She will be sworn into office in January.
The stepmother, former reporter and lifelong Manassas resident said the Virginia Department of Transportation should prioritize improving commuting options for residents in the western portion of Prince William County.
“We don’t have multi-modal transportation going out there,” said Roem. “If you live in Haymarket and Gainesville, chances are you’re a driving commuter — if you have to leave the area to go to work, you drive to get there.”
Roem said VDOT must remember many Prince William residents don’t have better options than contributing to the region’s congestion.
“When I don’t have mass rail or bus service, other than one bus that runs twice a day (from Gainesville) to the Pentagon, I can’t make a case to defend the highest toll in the nation,” she said.
During her campaign, Roem vowed to fix Route 28 infrastructure, with overpasses replacing stop lights. In addition, she vowed to find a cost-effective way to extend Virginia Railway Express train service to Innovation Technology Park, in Manassas, on the George Mason University Science and Technology Campus.
Roem has proposed calling for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority — the regional body focused on local transportation issues — to reallocate $300 million set aside for I-66 and Route 28 improvements, to provide wider roads and multi-modal options for underserved areas of her county.
In gearing for battles for funding, Roem said she was pleased by the local support she is receiving.
“Last night (Tuesday) at the Prince William County Board of Supervisors legislative agenda dinner, for the first time in my memory, Route 28 is now one of their top two transportation priorities for the General Assembly,” said Roem. “I think that is absolutely wonderful.”
