Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced a significant legal victory for commuters in Northern Virginia. The Supreme Court of Virginia unanimously upheld the State Corporation Commission’s decision to reject a proposed toll increase on the Dulles Greenway. The proposal by Toll Road Investors Partnership II (TRIP II) aimed to raise tolls by 40%, which would have cost daily commuters an additional $1,100 annually.
The court found that the proposed tolls did not meet legal standards for reasonableness and public benefit. “This is an enormous win for hardworking Virginians who are already stretched thin by rising costs,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. He emphasized that no private company should exploit a government franchise to overcharge commuters when public alternatives exist.
The Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Counsel intervened in the case with Loudoun County and numerous public commenters opposing the hike. TRIP II had relied on toll increases due to unmet traffic volume projections and mounting debt, now exceeding $1.1 billion.
Virginia law requires that toll increases be reasonable in relation to the benefits received by users. The Supreme Court confirmed that TRIP II’s proposed rates were unjustified and overly burdensome.
Read the decision HERE.
