A Berkeley Springs, West Virginia singer songwriter has released a song calling on the Commonwealth of Virginia to roll back the tolls on the Dulles Greenway — a privately owned 14 mile highway between Leesburg, Virginia and Dulles Airport.
Rush hour commuters are now being charged $5.55 to travel the 14 mile stretch — or 40 cents a mile — making it one of the most expensive highways in the country.
The song, titled Highway Robbery, was released by Angela Petry of Berkeley Springs.
“Highway robbery,” Petry sings in the chorus. “Sending our money overseas. Making a mockery of you and me. Because it’s highway robbery.”
The Dulles Greenway is owned by Toll Road Investors Partnership II (Trip II).
Trip II is owned by the Australian-based Macquarie Group.
Petry said that she and her family periodically venture into the Washington, D.C. area — and are struck by the exorbitant tolls on the highway.
Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia), a critic of the Greenway’s toll structure, has called the high tolls on the Greenway “a disgrace.”
“Everyone knows that these tolls are ripping people off,” Wolf said.
“Nobody should be forced to pay 40 cents a mile to drive on a highway” Petry said. “This road is in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Commonwealth means the wealth is held in common — by the people. But the Greenway is owned by an Australian firm and we are sending our money overseas.”
Petry urged citizens to sign a petition calling on the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, House Speaker William Howell and Senate Majority Tommy Norment — to pass legislation to bring the tolls in line with tolls on other major toll roads — like the Pennsylvania Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, which are less than 10 cents a mile.