;he snake in Aesop's fable, he said. The snake

;he snake in Aesop's fable, he said.

The snake was not designed physically for coping with a bothersome insect settling repeatedly on lis head; but being action oriented, t felt compelled to do something. So ;o dislodge the fly, it stuck its head peneath the wagon wheel of a passngcart, Watts related.

At least in the snake’s case, this prought a measure of relief because :he itch was gone. Watts said, addng that a western bypass won’t do inything to ease the “itch” of gridlock. Instead, the proposed bypass will compete with other projects for limited road money.

If built, the superhighway would bring a “prodigious level of new development," both residential and commercial, which will dump even more vehicles onto already overtaxed roads, he said.

But Dulles Airport should flourish, and for that to happen, adequate access must be provided, Watts agreed. He maintained, however, this could be achieved by extending Dulles Toll Road and completing other arterial projects. .

NVRTP is proposing a transportation plan already in excess of $7 billion, he pointed out, arguing against the inclusion of “an expensive new highway whose utility is merely putative.”

Peggy Maio, Loudoun member of the Piedmont Environmental Council, and Lou Etta Watkins, from the League of Women Voters, also noted that Loudoun is in the process of formulating its own transportation plan, which will address improved access to Dulles.

The resolution presented by Williams holds that planning and rightof-way acquisition for the eastern and western bypasses are necessary for “diversion of through truck and vehicular traffic around the region for reasons of traffic safety and convenience, particularly on the Capital Beltway, for protection of the environment, and for adequate acess to Dulles, National and BWI Airports."

Several committee members challenged the first assertion, noting data compiled by Bellomo-McGee fails to show that any significant volume of traffic will be diverted by a