I'm pleased to see this ("U.S. Input Sought to Save Rail To Dulles: Kaine Expresses Readiness to Work With Regulators"):
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) asked regulators yesterday to tell him how to change the plan for the Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport to qualify for federal funding, striking a conciliatory tone but offering no specific changes himself.[...]
State leaders are willing to look at anything, big or small, to meet federal approval, including project management, financing and oversight, the sources said.
...[Kaine] also made clear -- in agreeable, nonconfrontational language -- that he wants direction from Washington on how to fix the project.
"We want to fully understand your concerns and then look creatively at how to resolve them to allow the project to continue forward," Kaine wrote. "If we need to make additional adjustments -- small or large -- to proceed forward into final design, we are ready to explore those with you."
Again, I'm happy to see the new openness towards making changes and fixing this important project. Having said that, the question which springs to my mind is, "Why didn't this happen a lot earlier?" Whatever the case may be, I just hope that this is a case of "better late than never," and that state and local officials will work with the Federal government not just to revive this 100+-year project but to do it right. When I say, "do it right," I mean:
*Ditch "Big Dig" Bechtel as the sole-source, no-bid contractor and open up the bidding process.
*Consider the "smart growth" implications on Tysons Corner before deciding on an aerial or underground alignment (hint: the obvious answer here is a TUNNEL).
*Take into full account the long-term implications of this rail line on the entire region, looked at in a holistic fashion (energy, environment, cost, convenience, quality), not just as a way to shuttle people back and forth from the airport.
*Remove the airports authority (MWAA) from the picture to the extent possible, as they have a major conflict of interest in this project.
*Fully evaluate potential impacts on the existing Metro system before committing to build another line feeding into it.
*Open up this entire process from the secrecy which has shrouded it. Listen to the public, whose billions in tax dollars will be the ones paying for this project.
That's not too much to ask, is it? :)
I know this is going to sound crazy, but significant money could be saved by NOT going directly through Tysons. Run the line near Tysons and providing world class transfers in a superior circulator system around the Tysons area. Hell, some are already saying that Tysons will need a circulator even if the train goes right through the heart.
Some ideas:
JMDD's Jetson's like proposal at last year's Tyson's Tunnel rally comes to mind. Yeah, it seems a bit far fetched, but they are building one in London, so it's not sci-fi.
Bus Rapid Transit combined with the train would be a great solution - especially because it gets the ball rolling on BRT in this area.