RK ARCHIVE - FTA To Reject Rail to Dulles?

As you probably know, RK has been extremely skeptical of the rail to Dulles project as currently constituted. Among other things, RK has major problems with the non-competitive process used to select the main contrator on the project. In addition, we have major problems with Bechtel, its close ties (cronyism?) with the Bush Administration and its (questionable) performance on the infamous Big Dig project in Boston. Of course, we have major problems with the configuration of the project as it passes through Tysons Corner (we strongly support a "smart growth"-friendly tunnel, NOT the ugly, impractical and ill-conceived "aerial" option). Finally, we have major problems with the way this entire project has been moving along -- largely hidden from public view, lots of hand waving about how we'd ALL like a tunnel but we just CAN'T have a tunnel, blah blah blah.

Having said all that, I'm not sure what to make of the Bush FTA's (apparent) main objection to this project, that it is "reluctant to promote large-scale transit projects" and is "skeptical of expensive rail projects." In addition, Bush's Transportation Secretary apparently "favor[s] private investment and more tolling to control congestion." Oh wonderful, the Bush Administration doesn't like rail but it loves privatizing everything and charging people mega-tolls? I certainly hope that THOSE are not the FTA's main objections to this project. If they are, then the FTA is flat-out wrong. If it's all the other stuff we've talked about here at RK, then I'm largely in agreement with the FTA on this one.

The bottom line is that I'd urge the FTA not to reject this project outright, but to tentatively approve it WITH A REQUIREMENT for competitive bidding and a serious look at the Tysons tunnel option. If, after all that, the project still isn't competitive with other proposed transit projects around the country, then perhaps Metro to Dulles simply wasn't meant to be. Before we get to that point, however, it's time to see what competitive bidding and serious public discussion -- in the open, NOT behind closed doors to the extent feasible -- brings.

Comments

Dubya... (Eric - 1/17/2008 11:17:59 AM)

Everything he does, and why he does it, is wrong, bad, or a complete failure. So if the Bush Administration and cronies are pulling the strings on this deal we've got serious problems - this project is going to go from very difficult to utter disaster.

Besides, the Bushies should be happy as pigs in s**t right now because the beltway HOT lanes (which are both private AND toll based) are moving forward.

The best mass transit solution for Tysons (Hiker Joe - 1/17/2008 10:17:06 PM)

I was at a meeting last year perusing a graphic that depicted a very good circulator system that serviced almost all of Tysons. A Washington Post reporter was standing next to me. I commented that the circulator system seemed to render the detour of heavy rail through Tysons irrelevant. He said that he thought the same thing.

The point is that heavy rail, even with four stations along Routes 7 and 123, will not service the majority of Tysons. A very robust circulator system will be required. Clark Tyler, chair of the Tysons Task Force has been proselytizing that the heavy rail will not work without such a system and has also been emphasizing that such a system must have dedicated right-of-way so it doesn't get bogged down in traffic.

If such a system is implemented, the massively expensive detour of heavy rail through Tysons becomes superfluous.

The current proposal, notwithstanding inane proclamations by the Bush administration, should be killed. It is fatally flawed. It is being driven by landowners and developers in Tysons who don't give a rats ass about good mass transit. They want their density, and resulting increases in land value and they want it now.

A 50-100 year mass transit solution for the Dulles corridor should not be driven by such short-sighted interests.