Underground Metro Station Draws McDonnell’s Criticism
By E M Barner | Friday, April 29th, 2011 | Catch-AllEver since the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) announced its decision to build an underground (instead of above ground) station at at the Dulles airport, criticism of the decision has escalated.
Earlier this month, the Loudoun and Fairfax County Boards of Supervisors, along with VA Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton, voiced their opposition to the underground station, which would cost taxpayers an $330 million more than an above ground station. MWAA says that an above ground station would cost commuters an additional 4 minutes of travel time. Chairman Snelling has stated that MWAA will not reconsider its decision.
Now Governor Bob McDonnell has joined the criticism, reminding MWAA in a letter earlier this week that local governments will not foot the bill for the station, as MWAA apparently expects them to.
Cost overruns on the Silver Line, which is under construction, have not only drawn criticism from opponents of the line but also long time supporters of Metro expansion, such as Congressman Frank Wolf.
MWAA also faces a lawsuit from area residents John Corr and John Grigsby of toll increases on the Dulles Toll Road. The Commonwealth of Virginia turned the toll road over to MWAA in order to pay for the Commonwealth’s share of funding for the Silver Line. In their lawsuit, Corr and Grigsby argue that the Virginia General Assembly did not authorize MWAA to set toll rates and that they cannot do so because they are not a government body. Since the increases go to fund the Silver line, the lawsuit asks the court to find that they are not a toll road user fee but an unlawful tax.
My question: when two-thirds of the cost of your already expensive Metro trip is being subsidized by the taxpayers, is four extra minutes that big of a deal for riders? I take the Metro to work regularly and I can tell you that a train door malfunction can easily add that much time to my trip on any given day.
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E M Barner, the blogger formerly known as DCH / De Civitate Hominis (“concerning the city of man”), writes from a Northern Virginia perspective. Barner has been active in Republican politics and policy since 1994 – as a grassroots volunteer, party leader, and professional.
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One Response to "Underground Metro Station Draws McDonnell’s Criticism"
To be more precise, it was “Tim Kaine” who gave MWAA control over both the Dulles Rail project and the Dulles Toll Road. Kaine did that unilaterally – never sought legislative approval. His turnover agreement failed to include protections for Virginia taxpayers and motorists, nor controls against runaway spending by MWAA (which is dominated by D.C. & Maryland board members).
In the most recent vote on the station location, the new Va. members of the MWAA Board appointed by Gov. McDonnell – including former Cong. Ton Davis – voted for the more sensible, lower-cost option. But they were outvoted by free-spending MWAA members from D.C. and Md., and by holdover Va. members appointed by former Gov. Kaine & Warner.
Finally, the argument by underground station advocates of “greater convenience for travelers” is largely specious. Few air travelers will want to suffer the hassle of Metrorail (crowded trains, local stops, faregates, problematic escalators, unreliable service), regardless of station location – esp. if traveling with children or luggage.
Most will continue to prefer the convenience of transportation that delivers the traveler directly to his or her own airline terminal location. Those include airport bus/van services, taxis, getting a ride from friend or family, or driving and parking (with shuttle service to the terminal). Metrorail can’t match any of these in traveler convenience, no matter how much MWAA tries to spend.
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