Thank you Rob for this story.  This is great fodder for the Democratic candidates' attack on Republicans who, as noted, are anti-environmental protection, etc.  Afterall, Republicans fall right in step with Bush and Co. on just about everything that he (or his surrogate) tells them to do.

it seems that everytime someone does something that Gerry doesn't like he brands them a Republican. 

Remember Charlie Hall....

Consider that maybe the project reviewer is a Democratic bureaucrat who rightly thinks the whole Dulles Metro plan is a financial nightmare waiting to happen.....

(I want the Metro but not with a blank check to the builder.)

to rail-based transportation. In general Republicans don't support anything but highways and buses.

It was during Clinton's administration (1998) that the offer was on the table for an 80% funding of Bus Rapid Transit down the Dulles Airport Access Road. This rapid transit solution, from DC to Loudoun County, could have been built in 2 years and would be in operation today. Cost to Fairfax County - under $100M.

However, the Dems of Fairfax County BOS nixed this solution in favor of a $3 billion dollar option to Wiehle Ave(36% now to be the responsibility of Fairfax County), which at the soonest, wouldn't be operational until 2011 (12 miles further to go to Dulles and multi-billions more). Now that funding is in jeopardy.

I can only hope that the Fed Transportation Administration can see the folly of this sole source contract to Becthel Corp, which built the Boston Big Dig. Under estimating costs seems to be a trademark of mega projects to lull us into the construction then hold us hostage for huge cost overruns until its completion.

Hopefully, the FTA has learned its lesson from the Big Dig. Hopefully, Dems can demand fiscal responsibility, too.

While people will ditch their cars to ride subways and other forms of rail-based transportation, they won't ride buses. If the Dulles rail project is scuttled nothing else will ever be built for a very long time.

Jiacinto,  there you go drinking the anti-BRT bus juice again.

Maybe you should go to the Reston, Wiehle, and Herndon Park and Ride in the AM and PM.  The buses are packed going to the Falls Church rail station, the Pentagon, etc.

People do ride buses....many of us ride them 5 days a week to get to work.

By the way, these buses will be stopped....

Why....to force us to use the expensive rail that will be slower, longer, and cost more.

but I still just don't see BRT attracting the number of riders that its proponents. Why should I give up my car to ride a glorified bus?

I don't think that the rail will be slower from Reston and Loundon County than the buses. The subway line won't have to fight the cars on the highway or deal with traffic.

In a true BRT sytems, buses have access for changing the signal light. 

Do you think people will get out of their cars to use the rail? 

The problem that many of us have is how to connect where I live to where I work.  I have a fiend who was determine to leave the car at home.  She caught the bus to the west falls church station (about 18 minutes), then the yellow line, then the red line to work downtown.  One hour and 45 minutes reached work.  Plus working late and trying to repeat the process, rail to bus to parking lot was a nightmare.  Gave up and drove to work.  Average ride was 45 to 55 minutes.

Do we really want a system that cost 5.5 billion dollars that only serves a small number of people? 

I don't think it would be a "true BRT system". What it would be would be glorified bus service.

Would your friend have instead driven to the Metro and parked? People will not ride buses, but they will ride rail.

I want this system because Dulles Airport should be connected to the DC Metro. Tysons also needs to have a connection to the Metro System.

I am not against roads, but Loudoun is the fastest growing county in the US. There is a lot of growth on that corridor. Frankly I wish that the line would go to Leesburg.

I agree that the Republicans are against rail - and anything else that isn't single driver oriented.

But you have a rather, um, awkward typo for a Progressive.  In the interest of accuracy I'm sure you intended to type "cars" instead of "buses".  These sorts of slips of the keyboard happen all the time - no need to be embarrassed by such a ridiculous statement.  Since it was a typo no one is going to laugh at you.  It happens to the best of us.

By "buses" I meant BRT. The Bush administration seems willing to fund that without any difficulty.

The Honorable Chairman provides no evidence on which to base his assertion.  It is quite a serious charge to level, and it is incumbent upon Chairman Connolly to back it up with facts.  On the face of it, they appear to be spurious accusations meant to deflect criticism from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

I think it would be more interesting to hear a thoughtful critique of the FTA.  I have not heard that their deliberative process is any different for this project than for any other they consider.  I have not heard that the Inspector General's report on the project is factually inaccurate.  What evidence is there of an undisclosed agenda at the agency or of partisan bias?

I'm certainly no fan of the Bush administration, but when I read the Connolly comment all I could think is, "there he goes again."  Whenever things don't go his way Boss Connolly falls back on making up some partisan bullcrap to divert the public from how he is screwing them over.  He did this with Metrowest, he did it when his minion Linda Smyth was challenged, and here it is again.

Why would no rail be better than flawed rail in this case?  Because you and I will be paying for this project -- paying in taxes, tolls, budget busting cost overruns, the loss of a potentially decent Tysons area.  If a good BRT system exists, people will use it.  If they won't, they probably wouldn't put up with the hassles of rail either.

This project, as it is currently designed, with the contracts as currently written, will cost us more than it is worth.  Acknowledging that is good government.