The Virginia Department of Transportation has called on Loudoun County to "conduct a more consequential analysis" of the long-term impact of allowing the construction of some 28,000 new homes near Dulles Airport, predicting massive traffic jams from an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 new vehicle trips-per-day on the region's already strained road system. In a July 12 letter, Dennis Morrison, VDOT District Administrator, charged that "... Loudoun County's review did not consider the impacts... on several major roadways in Loudoun County... nor on major regional transportation arteries in Fairfax and Prince William Counties."

According to VDOT, the proposed changes to the County's comprehensive development plan for the "Upper Broad Run and Upper Foley sub-areas" would, by 2025, produce:

• On the Greenway — "between two and six hours of stop and go traffic conditions, daily."
• In Prince William County — "between two and six hours of stop and go traffic conditions, daily" on Route 29.
• In Fairfax County — "over six hours of stop and go traffic conditions, daily" at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 28, and on portions of Braddock Road near Pleasant Valley Road.

To make matters worse, the VDOT analysis assumed "the construction of ALL the transportation facilities included in the Constrained Long Range Plan, including the Dulles Metrorail extension, and the widening of Route 50, Braddock Road and the Greenway."

Further discussion between VDOT and County officials are planned, and Morrison assured Loudoun's Julie Pastor that it "would be pleased to help facilitate a broader regional view of not only this proposed comprehensive plan amendment, but also future land use decisions of similar consequence."

Steve Hines, speaking on behalf of "Families for Dulles South," cited VDOT's letter as further evidence of "spin," deception and half truths, if not bare-faced lying, on the part of developers, their paid representatives, and supporters on the Board of Supervisors. Residents of the affected areas, Hines said, bought their homes believing, among other things, that the County had developed a 25-year comprehensive plan they could count on. "They have been betrayed," he said, "and find it difficult, if not impossible to fight back, lacking as they do the financial resources and time at the disposal of those who are paid by developers to change the minds of planners and legislators."

"The County has a duty to not only develop a comprehensive plan, with appropriate input from all those affected... which it DID... but to articulate the vision for the county embodied in the plan effectively, and stand by it."

The VDOT review of Loudoun's planning was done as a "test case" anticipating the July 2007 implementation of new Virginia legislation requiring local jurisdictions to allow the State to evaluate the impact of new development on roads and traffic.

Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall, in a July 20 open letter to the long-divided Board of Supervisors, urged them to "work closely" with VDOT, comparing the Dulles South/Greenvest proposal for road improvements to those proposed for a much smaller Hobie Mitchell development near Leesburg, and deeming the proposed Dulles investment "inadequate."

Supervisor Stephen Snow's reply to Marshall called on the Delegate and Governor Tim Kaine to "... stop playing politics..." and to work with Loudoun "... to solve the problem..." charging that the Governor, VDOT and other opponents of development were "... jeopardizing the potential for a four-year university, ... hospital, ... park and ... museum..." currently "envisioned" for the area.