Just simple answer no need to explain Montreal Metro, Saturday March 16, 1996, p. A7 A private highway in great difficulty Pratte, Andr "This highway is the product of the spirit of innovation that makes our country the crucible of creativity," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena at the dedication last September of the Washington area's new toll highway, the Dulles Greenway. Here's what they say about it today in road-building circles, "The Greenway is the perfect example of what not to do when building a highway." The Greenway's first few months have been disastrous, so much so that the survival of the consortium that built and manages it, TRIP II, is in jeopardy. Motorists are shunning the new road. The consortium projected daily traffic of 34,000 cars at the end of the first year. But until recently, only 11,500 cars used the Greenway each day. The main reason: price. The Dulles Greenway is an extension - entirely private - of the highway that connects Washington, D.C., to Dulles International Airport. From the airport, it runs about 20 miles north to Old Town Leesburg. A public road, Highway 7, connects the same points, but has 28 traffic lights. To use the new highway, you have to pay $1.75. For now, the toll system is all about the traditional, throw your money in the basket at a booth. "One dollar seventy-five is too expensive, I can't afford it every day", explained a motorist the other day. In desperation, the fare was lowered to $1 for a 60-day trial period. Ridership has increased to about 15,000 vehicles... but at this level, the company is losing more money than before, so the possibility of bankruptcy is beginning to be raised by several observers. Among them is Bill Reinhardt, publisher of the Public Works Financing newsletter, who believes that the Dulles Greenway builders made some fundamental mistakes: 1) TRIP II overestimated demand, causing it to price unrealistically. "These projections were based on significant airport development that did not occur," Reinhardt says. In addition, the transformation of this rural area into a residential suburb of Washington has been slow to materialize. 2) Such a project is not viable if the private sector takes it on alone. The interest rates charged to the private sector are higher than those offered to a government and since the state has no financial interest in the project, it does not give the developer the enthusiastic support that would be necessary. 3) The opening of the road, six months ahead of schedule, was not preceded by any information campaign. "The road is not marked on the maps and there are no signs indicating its existence," Reinhardt points out. Besides the factors you mentioned in 2 and 3 above, what is the other factor that is hurting the Dulles Greenway? Despite lower prices and increased ridership, things are not getting better for the company. True or False: Supporting data Whose statement is this: "This highway is the product of the innovative spirit that makes our country the crucible of creativity