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Fairfax would save $1.2M under VRE restructuring
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A VRE train in transit.
Fairfax (Map, News) - Fairfax County officials say they’ve brokered a deal that would save the county $1.2 million in subsidies to Virginia Railway Express. Supervisors say the proposed policy change will fix a lopsided funding formula that considered total population alongside ridership and forced Fairfax County to fund a disproportionate part of the commuter rail line. The new proposal, officials say, would base the local contribution solely on the number of riders that come from each jurisdiction.
The county, by far the region’s most populous, now pays about $5 million annually of VRE’s total $13.3 million subsidy, though it only provides about 20 percent of the ridership. Fairfax County’s share would incrementally drop to $3.8 million over the next four years. In that same period, other localities that fund VRE will pay increasingly larger amounts. Stafford and Prince William Counties will see the largest increases.
“This was not an easy thing to accomplish,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Sharon Bulova, who sits on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and helped forge the agreement.
The restructuring has yet to be officially adopted by the two boards governing VRE, though it appears officials have already agreed to the proposal’s framework.
wflook@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:27 PM MST on Tue., Aug. 28, 2007 re: "VRE ridership up; commuters likely to ask for later trains"
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3:56 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 18, 2007
re: "New VRE modifications may push price tag past $86M"
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3:49 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 18, 2007
re: "New VRE modifications may push price tag past $86M"
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3:40 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 18, 2007
re: "New VRE modifications may push price tag past $86M"
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5:12 AM MST on Wed., Aug. 15, 2007
re: "VRE ridership up; commuters likely to ask for later trains"
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6:06 AM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007
re: "Fairfax would save $1.2M under VRE restructuring"
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Examiner Reader said:
I think that we need more funding of rail. The big cost to the state is more roads. Rail is a cheaper and greener alternative and a relaxing way to travel.
242 agree | 232 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Japan? JAPAN? WHAT?, Americans can`t figure out how to keep a wheelchair from rolling? I guess it`s our great public school educational system! VRE IS NUTS! CORRUPTION! SOMEBODY HAS TO BE STEALING! JAPAN???
237 agree | 230 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
$350,000 for seat belts and a door lock? Where are buying this stuff; form the same people who charged U.S. DOD $1,000,000 for TWO LOCK WASHERS? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?
261 agree | 239 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"cost-cutting measures"!?! What COST-CUTTING MEASURES? WHO'S RUNNING THE ZOO? ARE YOU GUYS INSANE? Usually when you CUT COSTS things COST "LESS" NOT "MORE"!!!! GOOD GRIEF!
241 agree | 243 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I used VRE, and I have stopped, by the time it got to the Rippon or Woodbridge station , they was no seats and I refused to stand, when people asked for longer trains the answer was the platform was not long enough, wrong answer!! many times I have had to walk back from the quiet car to exit the train so that no problem. the problem is it grew to fast too quick and they were not ready for the growth. So now I ride the bus I allways get a seat.
261 agree | 266 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Local Governments need to immediately initiate construction of high-density housing within walking distance of the VRE Stations. More vehicles would be taken off of the road and old commercial structures and outdated housing could be torn down and upgraded. It is time to bring Route One out of the 50's.
271 agree | 385 disagree
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