
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 17, 1993                   TAG: 9309110278
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

A USER FEE FOR THE PARKWAY?

REGARDING the buying of certain parcels of land along the Blue Ridge Parkway that will may be developed, thereby spoiling the natural beauty along the road (Aug 2 letter to the editor by Elizabeth Barbour, ``Parkway issue part of national movement''):

Asking for funds from the federal government (with its current vast debt) puts Roanoke in the same league with those pushing projects in other states that we call pork. Rounding up necessary money is the responsibility of Virginia counties along the parkway that benefit most from the tourism it generates. To supplement this source or perhaps replace it, what's wrong with establishing a $1 fee per car or per occupant to use the road? It was designed to be a scenic road, not a road used to get to work on. With 23 million people using it yearly, this would bring in a considerable amount of money from those who benefit the most from it - money that could be designated for such projects as land acquisition.

BARBARA McEWAN

FOREST

See microfilm for the rest of the letter

by CNB