NIMBY NATION Is “Large” and “Loud”
ONLY When Beneficiaries Are Absent and Silent
(January 30, 2007)

Steely-eyed, self-centered and entitled, they gathered at last week’s I-66 inside the Beltway Spot Improvement Design Work Shop. About 200 in a region of 2 million, of one mindset:

“We’re not here for the facts, we’re here to vent.”

NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) Nation personified.

Don’t care that proposed spot improvements

• Take no houses.
  
• Eliminate no bike paths.
  
• Are constructed entirely within existing right-of-way.

Could care even less that spot improvements/additional lane capacity have been shown to

• Be the most effective multi-modal solution.
  
• Improve travel speeds, reduce delays and stop and go traffic.
  
• Improve merges and safety.
  
• Ease congestion.
  
• Keep traffic out of adjacent neighborhoods.
  
• Significantly improve regional security and evacuation capability.

NIMBY Nationals always turn out to protest obvious, common-sense improvements. The same cannot be said for the tens of thousands who benefit from such improvements.

Criticizing VDOT for not addressing regional transportation needs is great sport, but when VDOT finally gets the funds and the political green light to move forward on something as important as improving I-66, most citizens who benefit are no where to be seen or heard from.

If NIMBY Nation Rules, You’ll Lose

To register support for I-66 Spot Improvements click here and then click on the “Comments” button on the left and again on the “Make a Comment” link at the top of the page.  Compose your own message but all you really need to say is, “I support expediting I-66 spot improvements”.

Comment Deadline is February 2nd