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Loudoun agrees to pay $240M
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Loudoun County (Map, News) - Seven of nine Loudoun County supervisors gave their conditional approval to the controversial Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project on Tuesday, saying they intend to pay their $240 million share of its construction budget.
Three of the 11 stops on the proposed $5.14 billion railway would be in Loudoun County, connecting the fast-growing region with Metro’s Orange Line in Falls Church.
The vote did not commit the funding until after the Loudoun County Board reviews and approves the engineering report for the second phase of the railway construction in fiscal 2009.
The county is expected to raise the money in part through a county business tax.
The supervisors have included Dulles Rail in two consecutive five-year transportation plans and have long considered it both an economic development tool and a way to reduce traffic for commuters heading to major employment centers in Tysons Corner and Washington.
Developer Robert Buchanan urged the county to approve the project to help the county lure new corporations and federal agencies.
Without rail, Buchanan said, “We don’t have all those parts of the infrastructure that makes the decision to relocate your business a no-brainer.”
Opponent John Nicholas, also a developer, said it was too much money for the payoff.
“We float a $240 million bond,” Nicholas said, “and we’re going to get one more stop for 1,500 riders.”
dgenz@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:25 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 11, 2008 re: "More riders squeezing onto Metrorail as gas costs force commuters off roads"
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8:52 AM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008
re: "Alexandria officials tie development to new stations"
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5:56 AM MST on Wed., Dec. 5, 2007
re: "Va. House speaker has dim hopes for Metrorail extension to Dulles"
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6:10 AM MST on Wed., Jun. 20, 2007
re: "Dulles rail vote draws criticism and praise"
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10:54 AM MST on Wed., Jun. 6, 2007
re: "Rail issue a focal point in election year"
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8:18 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
re: "Board may stall rail vote unless contract delivered"
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5:05 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
re: "Rail issue a focal point in election year"
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8:36 AM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
re: "FTA rejects underground rail route"
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5:48 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007
re: "FTA rejects underground rail route"
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1:29 PM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007
re: "Review of Metrorail plan delayed again"
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4:42 PM MST on Fri., May. 4, 2007
re: "Citizens group blasts secrecy of Dulles rail"
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9:57 AM MST on Thu., Apr. 26, 2007
re: "Panel to pick Dulles rail station art"
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Patricia K said:
I realize that more commuters are using the system, and that I am not going to find a seat or avoid skin contact with a sweaty hairy man on a rainy day. I even accept that a couple packed trains will pass me by, lengthening my commute. It is the nauseatingly abrupt start-stop motion and stall-outs at every other stop that I abhor. Are these necessary? My commute has taken on the qualities of a sadistic psychological experiment, designed to see how much I can take without losing my mind. It is by far the most difficult portion of my day, and I know I’m not alone. Suggestions for improvement include adjusting the air conditioning to accommodate sardines at rush hour; stopping completely instead of slamming on the brakes, inching forward, and repeating; and setting an automated speed so that riders aren’t alternately subject to snails and speed demons.
6 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner examiner said:
Why does Taryn Luntz accept the estimate of $100 million for a new metrorail station without question? Is she doing her job?
93 agree | 102 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Presently there is only one Metro Bus route that services Dulles. Seems like Metro would set up more routes to Dulles from DC/VA/MD to prove there is a need for the rail. Meanwhile, the taxi industry will continue to bilk the public with $50 plus fares.
153 agree | 141 disagree
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County Resident said:
It's too bad that Supervisor Cathy Hudgins was not willing to wait for a better look at the costs and the risks before voting. Hunter Mill needs Marie Huhtala. This eyesore might also force real estate tax increases and compete with schools, parks and public safety for county revenue. We need a new county board of supervisors.
232 agree | 259 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The County is being burdened with an uncapped 16.!% of costs, which is guaranteed to rise, as the contract is structured. Worse yet the County has not even seen the Contract documents. Even to see a redacted version a week for a major vote on a $3 B project, this is not displaying fiscal prudence on the part of the County stewards. It is not only that the best option is not getting built, but the Stewards of the County have been quite deficient. The County residents are being asked to pay increasing taxes every year, however, the Supervisors have not demonstrated fiduciary responsibility, while relegating the decision making to other bodies , such as the State, MWAA and others. A case in point is that the State's obligations are capped at $75M, while the County pays 5 times as much and claims to have no say in the decision making process ! Actually we are being asked to pay more than more than $800 million, along with any increases that the cartel decides to make.
297 agree | 274 disagree
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Carl Lundie said:
The concept to deliver the Dulles Rail through Tysons can be "state of the art " and a place to be admired for many years to come. I have 3 questions 1) How is it possible the contractor (DPT) Dulles Transit Partners after reaching an agreement with (MWAA) Metropolitan Washington Aiports Authority and the Commonwealth of VA. to build Phase 1 on March 30, 07 a contract has not been delivered, reviewed with due diligence? 2) Who has control over the decision process ? The (DPT) set the 19 June as the vote date. Dana Kauffman, a board member asked the question Monday June 4,07. 3) Is contract expiration date June 20 or August 1,07
279 agree | 241 disagree
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US Grant said:
Lynda Smyth and Gerry Connolly have got to go! They do not give a damn about constituents - only turning Fairfax and Tysons into an urban slum. It is time for people top take back the governments, local and state, and do what is right. The Tysons project is a fisaco thanks to those purported elected leaders currnently in power. Get them out - retire them!
279 agree | 262 disagree
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E.S. said:
Common Sense: Apparently you don't realize that by having rail go right down the toll road and straight out to the airport you'd be bypassing Tysons and lowering the ridership numbers that would be required to receive certain levels of federal and local funding for Metrorail in any form. Ridership numbers are extremely important to the approval of funding. Under your plan, you'd still need to have buses shuttling people to their jobs and homes in Tysons Corner (especially after the master plan for Tysons Corner to include more mixed-use is implemented) which would tax the transit system in other ways. Riders want convenient and direct access to their destinations without having to switch forms of transit. This is clearly evidenced by airline travel. Direct = convenient. Especially in the rapid pace of Northern Virginia and the Washington, DC area.
281 agree | 274 disagree
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Common Sense said:
It's time to pull the plug on rail through Tysons. Put the Silver Line back in the median of the Dulles Toll Road. That way, we get rail to Dulles, without risking such huge cost overruns. This plan would avoid the ugly El and the huge increases in density for Tysons Corner landowners that would likely add even more traffic to our roads.
778 agree | 296 disagree
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E.S. said:
I guess the roadside banner photo says it all. Delays. Wouldn't it be nice if they'd just open up competition so we could get an honest shake on the deal? Instead the little secret trimmings here and there to get costs down may just jeopardize Metro coming to Dulles altogether.
270 agree | 233 disagree
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Surprised - Not said:
Gee I wonder where Gerry Connolly was when the Examiner called! Probably conducting county business in private.
298 agree | 270 disagree
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E.S. said:
Marcia McAllister states in your article: “It is the goal of the Metrorail Project, working with [the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority], to identify talent and artists who can really create pieces that really speak to the environment, that speak to Tysons [Corner], that speak to Reston,” she said. I have only this response to Ms. McAllister's statement: Has your panel of judges for the proposed artwork at stations taken into consideration that the art most appropriate for the Tysons Corner "environment" with an elevated rail is referred to as "graffiti". It has "worked" in many other cities. I believe, as do others in our area, the grafitti artists who offer their creative expressions aren't exactly going to do a formal submission of their work to a judging/review panel for your approval nor will they feel that they need to restrain their creative expression or limit their subject matter to happy clouds and trees. There will plenty of art for all of us to judge.
546 agree | 270 disagree
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