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March 31, 2006 Cut out the criticism. The Kaine/Airports Authority MOU to get Rail Built is a Really Good Deal! In the opinion of the Washington Airports Task Force there could be no better public agency to extend rail through the Dulles Corridor to Loudoun County than the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Since their inception in 1987, the Airports Authority has rebuilt National Airport and expanded Washington Dulles on-cost and on-time without using any federal, state or local tax dollars. In the process, they have transformed our air service from being among the worst in the nation to among the best. They are now is engaged in a $3.4 billion capital development program at Washington Dulles to meet regional air service demands with new runways, an underground automated people mover to replace the mobile lounges, and related terminal and facility construction. They have gained a good reputation with their neighbors. Ninety percent of neighbors living closest to Dulles, for example, consistently see the airport as an asset in their back yard, according to our independent surveys. The Dulles Corridor is part of Dulles Airport. The Airports Authority provided the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) with easements in which to build the Toll Road, requiring only that any excess revenues be applied to transportation improvements in the Corridor. The Airports Authority also has provided easements for portions of Routes 28, 606, the Loudoun Parkway and the Dulles Greenway. The Key Decisions for the Rail project have already been made. The task now is to implement the project on-cost and on-time. The Airports Authority has an excellent record for executing major public works projects on-cost and on-time. By any yardstick, the MOU to get Dulles rail built is good public policy, but it eliminates perks others had hoped for, so naturally there is some criticism. Judge for yourself if the criticism is fair or manufactured: Tolls could rise arbitrarily without public input. Not true. Under the Airports Authority proposal:
The tolls will increase regardless of who runs the Toll Road. Some of the PPTA proposals would have turned the Toll Road into a cash cow to fund highway improvements elsewhere in Virginia. The Airports Authority will not be accountable to local citizens. This concern ignores the Airports Authority’s record. Through its history, the Authority has sought public input on everything from new runways to taxi cab regulations. The Authority is structured to be transparent, responsive and accountable without fragmenting the clear lines of responsibility required to get major public works projects built on-cost and on-time. A consultancy body is needed to ensure public concerns are addressed. Agreed – a consultancy body to provide input from the public and all stakeholders was included in the Airports Authority proposal! The Authority lacks experience in tunneling and other surface transportation skills. This too is not true. The Airports Authority probably has more current tunneling experience than any other local agency, as it is actively engaged in a major tunneling project to replace the mobile lounge system with an automated underground train! Also, the Authority built and maintains many miles of highway on airport and in the Dulles Corridor, and since 1985 has run the Flyer bus system to provide public transit links. Even more to the point, the Authority has brought its major projects in on-cost and on-time. Virginia could have gained $1 billion or more from some of the PPTA proposals. True, but who would have paid for that $1 billion and where would it have been spent? Under the Airports Authority MOU, all the toll money will be spent in the Dulles Corridor to improve the Toll Road and build the rail system. The tolls will not have to be raised several extra notches to generate the $1 billion to give to the state and to pay dividends to investors. Some of the PPTA proposals in essence offered Virginia a large, one-time cash payment in exchange for the right to control the tolls for 50 years! Governor Kaine and the Airports Authority’s Jim Bennett have crafted an excellent plan to get rail built through the Dulles Corridor into Loudoun County in one go and at minimum cost to the taxpayer and the Toll Road user. Let’s support their efforts. For further comment, please contact:
Robert Buchanan
Douglas Carter
James Todd
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