(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

"Why should other communities pay for Arlington's action?" asks the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance.

Strong words! Yikes.

The NVTA is freaking out because the I-95/I-395 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes project isn't happening ... and all thanks to silly old Arlington, if you ask the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (hat tip to ARL Now). The organization, which Greater Greater Washington has called a "more lanes all the time" advocacy group, released a statement on their website today slamming Arlington County for their concerns and, earlier in 2011, a lawsuit critical of the project.

And what are HOT lanes? Special highway options for carpooling, buses, and if they pay a toll, individual drivers that would aim to speed up highways and remove congestion. The merits of the project have been questioned by multiple parties as many forces continued to fiercely promote the idea, even as its shape changed throughout 2011. The plans for these northern Virginia HOT lanes appears to have officially fallen apart as of this month. The organization points to a July 26th quote from Virginia's governor that credits Arlington's lawsuit with ending the project.

And now, they rather bluntly suggest that because Virginia will no longer receive the private revenue from the HOT lanes, the funding slated for Arlington's transit should be shifted to pay for other areas that had supported the project.

"Bad decisions have bad consequences," the statement concludes after suggesting that Arlington shouldn't get to enjoy its trolleys now. Some folks are clearly not happy.