Light at the End of the Tunnel?

By: Lowell
Published On: 1/9/2007 8:04:59 AM

Thanks to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, there may indeed by "light at the end of the tunnel."  I'm talking, of course, about the tunnel option for Metro in Tysons Corner.  Yesterday, the Fairfax Board voted unanimously to urge state and federal officials to reconsider, rebid, and others reevaluate their (short-sighted, foolish, pound-foolish, etc.) decision for an above-ground option.  According to Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman (D-Lee), "It's so important to make sure we have the best long-term value we can and that the tunnel remains an option."  Board Chairman Gerry Connolly added, "I favor a tunnel, as do most of my colleagues, and we're going to work hard to try and make that happen."

Good for Mr. Kauffman, Mr. Connolly and the entire Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for their strong support of smart growth in Tysons.  Now, let's hope the state and federal governments are listening to their local consitutents, the people who will actually have to live with this project for the next...oh, rest of their lives!  In other words, let's hope that in this case, the light at the end of the tunnel doesn't indicate the headlight of an oncoming train!

Comments



Where's Chuck Robb when we need him? (MV Democrat - 1/9/2007 8:11:13 AM)
Back in the day, Chuck Robb obtaing funding for the completion of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge with a $600M appropriation from the General Fund instead of from the Transportation Trust Fund (which has lots of strings attached).

What was different back then?

  - We weren't spending (borrowing) $1.5B/week in a war in Iraq
  - We had a Democratic President who believed on investing infrastructure dollars in our own country and actually had a plan to invest in US transportation infrastructure
  - We had budget surpluses so we could afford it
  - We had Chuck Robb in office (not George Allen at the time this decision was made who was never mentioned as having been involved in any of those meetings)

This is doable.  We just have Northern Virginia Republican leadership (Davis & Wolf) who had no interest in cashing in their chits with the President on this issue. 



I place a major part of the blame for this fiasco (Lowell - 1/9/2007 8:43:56 AM)
on Davis and Wolf.  As I wrote yesterday,

You think this has anything to do with the fact that Bechtel, with which Virginia has a "no-bid" public-private partnership to build Metro to Dulles, has given $5,000 to Tom Davis in the past two years?  How about the fact that Frank Wolf has received $9,000 from Bechtel the past few years?

Oh yeah, then there's Washington Group International, the other member of the Bechtel consortium, which has given $3,000 to Tom Davis and $8,000 to Frank Wolf.

Hmmmmm......

Where's Chuck Robb, indeed.



I am fairly new to NOVA (totallynext - 1/9/2007 5:31:46 PM)
So if Robb got the Bridge - how come Davis gets taking credit for it?


Nelson BoS (Gordie - 1/9/2007 11:14:46 AM)
I sure wish Nelson had a bold BoS such as these. Right now there is heavy discussion about Rte 151 and truckers using that narrow 2 lane highway as a short cut from Rte 29 to I64 to I 81.
They are discussing eleminating truck traffic which will add about 1 hour time to their travel. That expense can add up into higher consumer costs, so I think a better solution is warrented. Nelson needs to get on the Governors transportation package now before it become a 30 year issue.
A new highway from the Amherst-Nelson line to I-81 is the sensible solution, but who ever said politicans were sensible till this BoS spoke up?


OH (Gordie - 1/9/2007 11:17:14 AM)
There are 2 mountains between Rte 29 and I-81, so tunnels thru those mountains is the best solution, also.


smart growth in Tysons? (totallynext - 1/9/2007 5:29:55 PM)
Isn't it a little to late for that?