Loudoun County supervisors on Nov. 15 accepted an amended agreement on Phase II of the Metrorail extension that will lower the price of the overall project by $1 billion and remove the use of mandatory project labor agreements.
The vote was 7 to 2 to approve with Supervisors Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) and Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) opposed, saying the cost to Loudoun taxpayers is too great and there’s too much uncertainty still in the project.
However, those in support of the agreement praised its changes – all of Loudoun leaders’ requests to reduce the overall cost of the project were accepted.
“This memorandum changes the scope of the agreement. It changes the scope for the better. It provides a significant cost reduction of almost a billion dollars. It is a project proposal that is better now than what it was ... ,” said Vice-Chairman Susan Klimek Buckley (D-Sugarland Run).
The agreement codifies how partners in the project will pay for the second phase of the Dulles rail, which will extend service from Reston to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun.
The project, estimated to be at least $2.8 billion, will be paid for with contributions from all the major stakeholders, including Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
The agreement is the result of months of negotiations with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, the state and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Loudoun supervisors’ Nov. 15 vote doesn’t mean final approval for the Metrorail project.
Supervisors still have 90 days from the time they receive final engineering plans to opt-out of the project. Those plans are expected to be available by March 1. In addition, environmental and traffic studies requested by the board are expected to be in supervisors’ hands by December.
Chairman Scott York (R-At Large), who was part of negotiations with LaHood, said prior to the Nov. 15 vote that he’s a staunch supporter of rail to Loudoun, but he still remains concerned about the cost to Dulles Toll Road users and believes funding for construction of Phase II should also come from riders who use Metrorail.
“I hope it comes to Loudoun County but it’s got to be a financially stable method to all parties involved. We just can’t watch it dump all on the back of a certain entity and that being the folks who are on the toll road they have to pay each time to get to work,” York said.
The new memorandum of agreement puts in place an above-ground station at Washington Dulles International Airport, a voluntary project labor agreement similar to what’s in place for Phase I of the project, federal financing and additional state funding.
The agreement also requires Loudoun County to fund the costs for a parking garage for the planned Route 606 station and two parking garages at the Route 772 station.
Loudoun supervisors intend to secure private funding for the garages, but if they can’t, the costs stay within the overall project.
Fairfax County has a similar agreement, which requires it to fund costs for two parking garages and the Route 28 station. Supervisors there are scheduled to vote on the agreement on Dec. 2.
In addition, the new agreement reduces the size of the proposed rail yard to accommodate the number of rail cars needed by Silver Line operations upon commencement of operations.
LaHood’s office agreed to provide federal loan assistance to help Fairfax, Loudoun and the airports authority finance the project.
In addition, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell also agreed to give $150 million to help finance the rail extension as long as mandatory project labor agreements were eliminated.
The state and federal funding will reduce the amount that users on the Dulles Toll Road will have to pay, although it remains unclear how much tolls will increase. An analysis is being conducted now and should be available before supervisors take a final vote on whether to opt out of the project, county staff said. Toll revenue will be used to help pay for the line.
The only other concern raised by supervisors on Nov. 15 was from Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac) who said there’s been too much discussion about the financing aspect of the project and not enough talks on transportation impacts.
“What is constantly missing in the discussions on this issue is transportation and the impacts on our county and those who live here and work here,” McGimsey said.
She urged the new Board of Supervisors who will take office Jan. 2 to send the project to a transportation and land use committee for discussion before giving Metrorail final approval.
“There are costs if we don’t move forward with Metro. There are costs to the people who live in Ashburn and are stuck on Waxpool Road. There are costs to air quality. There are costs to us constantly remaining dependent on gas …” McGimsey said.
Too much at stake
Despite supervisors overwhelming support for Metrorail, there were a group of residents who spoke prior to the vote that fear the project will go bankrupt and skyrocket taxpayers bills.
The group urged supervisors to delay the vote until more information on the project’s impact is available.
Thomas Cramer, an economist with the Dulles Corridor Users Group, said he predicts the costs to toll road users by 2018 will skyrocket to $8,000 a year for those in Fairfax County and $10,000 a year for Loudoun County residents.
The high toll road costs, Cramer said, will force motorist into regular roads and crash the bond ratings that secured financing for Dulles Rail.
“This is a likely bankruptcy,” Cramer said.
The bill for Loudoun County taxpayers is expected to $35 million a year to fund Metrorail, but will eventually decline once financing for the project is paid off, county staff has said. It will be 30 years before Loudoun will start to reap the economic benefits of Metorail, they said.
It’s those numbers that have troubled Supervisor Burton since negotiations began on how to bring Metrorail to Loudoun, he said.
“I do not see this financing scheme working. I would love to be able to sit back and take the long view out beyond 30 years but I look at the condition of Metro now and all the expenses going into it to try to maintain it … I don’t think we have an idea of what the financial burden on Loudoun taxpayers is going to be,” Burton said.
Supervisor Delgaudio, who has always been opposed to Metorail, described the project as throwing money to the wind.
“What you’re doing is your making the people who drive cars pay for your dreams. I call it a nightmare,” Delgaudio said.
uggs Nixon uggs on sale
Occupy the Metro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well said…“I want it but let someone else pay.” Pretty much sums up our recent election.
Perhaps, after 40 years and we’re all dead, the rate will come down. In the meantime, will Metro spur more development or less? Very likely more, which will demand more services, which will demand more tax revenue.
Let it terminate at Dulles, and shift the tax burden to Fairfax while we reap the benefits of Metro in close proximity without paying for it directly.
Earthquake? Did I just feel the playing field shift? Let’s see. Arl. Co. has the same federal, state, and sales tax rates as Loudoun. The difference is that it’s infrastructure has long been in place (including metro). As Loudoun matures there will be less need for schools, roads, etc. And the tax rate will come down. Continuing unbridled residential development will slow this process.
I misspoke by saying “tax rate.” Technically, what I’m speaking of is the “Average Effective True Tax Rate,” which increases with density.
Arlington Co. Has lower rates
If one of you pro-metro folks would cite me a single instance where incresed density LOWERED the tax rate, I’d appreciate it. It doesn’t happen. Who has lower taxes: Less dense rural areas or more dense urban areas? As we increase density, we will increase taxes. Prove me wrong.
“Having it stop just at Dulles does not give us /cost benefit”
WRONG. Having it stop there gives us much of the benefits with NONE of the costs. Idiot.
Metro is needed. Loudoun will not shrink. More people keep coming. Delays will only making it cost more. Do the miles into loudoun now. Having it stop just at Dulles does not give us /cost benefit. Someday we will want it to go further out as well. We need public transit. Maybe some of you just can’t imagine the future of Loudoun, or just want to pay higher taxes- Metro will help the grow a varied tax base.
It is rather sickening that Barbara Munsey, who has been hiding since her embarrassing run with the ever arrogant Steve Snow, is now back…this is one know it all woman…she should spend more time in front of the mirror..OMG…she is “right” on everything…and only she knows everything! From what I remember about her at the BOS meetings, her accent is pure Massachusetts…she is trying to make Loudoun look as bad as her home state…she is truly narcissistic.
“R” means RAPE for the raping of the taxpayers.
Hey “other side of the coin”, one big mistake you mentioned was that there was any “bidding” for this work. Betchel was handed a no-bid contract for Phase 1 from MWAA. Zero competition involved. It is hard to think they would switch prime contractors in the middle of the project now. Nothing but another taxpayer handout to a well-connected company.
I agree with Blue Ridge. We can live without a Metro station near Brambleton. Just make the parking lot bigger at Dulles. The fact Loudoun is taking on so much of a burden for so little shows why more people should have been smart and voted Scott York out of office. Yet again though, everyone is so blind to the “R” next to his name (this year anyway) that they vote for someone who sells us out time and time again. Is signing up for this mess a “conservative” position? Do you really forsee the other “conservatives” like Ken Reid stopping this thing? You GOP voters were duped. Now they are also going to ruin your horse country too.
Wed, Nov 16 at 01:07 PM by Blue Ridge voter—
‘The projected costs have skyrocketed… private industry would never sign onto a project where best case scenario was some return on investment in 30 years… and where the project depended on ongoing heavy federal and State government subsidies…’
A. Who is receiving all the costs of the Silver Line? PRIVATE CONTRACTORS, who won the bids. You want to complain about the costs, complain about the entities who are RECEIVING those costs. You want this built cheaply - lobby Congress to repeal minimum wage and other labor laws, then you’ll also see the return of the steel industry, etc. METRO could built entirely with products made in the good ol’ USA - so long as the labor is all imported and un-governed low-waged. Go see how China has been rapidly developing so fast in recent past. The base of tha growth - labor - is super cheap, barely sustainable, near slave like if you want to go there. Now that the Chinese are gaining wealth and knowledge, they are demanding higher wages, and all of a sudden, they have slowed down some.
Man, human rights really suck the wind out of economic growth, don’t it ;).
B. All large infrastructure is somewhat, somehow, government subsidized. Ignoring that is deceitful and ignorant on your part. Even a private investment like the Greenway is subsidized in manners like having the ability to raise their rates with virtually no government oversight or influence, and not ‘having to’ do something as common sense beneficial as distance-based tolling.
“It will be 30 years before Loudoun will start to reap the economic benefits of Metorail.” B.S. Sounds like somebody pulled that number out of thin air. You don’t think once our stations open that massive developments like Loudoun Station and Moorefield Station won’t start coming to life? And businesses won’t start moving in around the stations? Metro will also allow the county to pullback on further east-west road development (which will offset some of the cost). The industrial area at 606 and the Greenway will also become prime land for offices and jobs closer to home. My only big issue with the project is making sure we’re not forced to use union labor.
Now that I think about it, that’s a great idea to terminate at the airport. We are only getting 2.5 miles of rail in Loudoun anyway. For those that want to use rail, that is only another 5 minute drive with no increase in taxes. Sounds perfect.
I agree. Let Fairfax suck up the costs of Metro to the airport while Loudoun reaps the benefits of having it nearby. That sounds like the “best value” solution to me.
I think blue ridge voter hit one important argument that I agree with and that is if the metro stops at Dulles Airport w/o going to the proposed 2 loudoun stops we can still benefit from using the metro. It would be close enough to my house as many others as well.
I have said from the beginning a better use of this money is just to build flyover ramps or whatever they are called between Leesburg and Tysons in the key intersections (AVB, Belmont Ridge, Countryside, etc…) and it would be lot less money in construction. I mean this project is 2.8 Billion as it says in article and even if you make 10 flyer ramps which cost about 30 Million a piece that is small fraction of building metro.
I like tacos
All Loudoun gets with the Dulles Rail project is 2.5 miles of rail in Loudoun with two stops, one at 606 and one at Ryan Road.
So, MWAA lets us join their group and have the privilege of paying a percentage of the entire operational costs of Metro throughout the region in perpetuity, plus we pay Billions in Tolls, plus we guarantee junk bonds being used to finance this, probable bankrupt project… MWAA and the other jurisdictions see Loudoun as the wealthiest County in the country and they want our money to subsidize their costs…
If we opt out of this agreement, and they just build it to the Airport, we get the best of both worlds, metro near enough to use, but we do not have to pay for it, or pay ongoing operational and maintenance costs for the whole system… (Already a BIllion in deferred maintenance..)
This is an opportunity for DC (who controls metro) to build its rail (at our cost) to Loudoun and send its workers from poorer neighborhoods out of the city for jobs… that is why they are insisting the rail riders pay low fees, and the toll road users must pay for rail…
Loudoun has no control over MWAA. Why do we allow them to tell us how much we have to pay for their mismanagement and agendas?
The projected costs have skyrocketed… private industry would never sign onto a project where best case scenario was some return on investment in 30 years… and where the project depended on ongoing heavy federal and State government subsidies…
Georgetown has no metro—they did not want the crime, and people still go to their restaurants, in fact they are more “exclusive” ... we can still develop our transit towns, but why not have rapid bus, more flexible, reliable and 1/10th the cost… or limousines, or commuter busses?
Glad everyone got rid of Burton. I guess voting based on common sense isn’t what that district wanted. Lets get another nutjob Republican in there to push as much taxpayer money to private firms as possible.
This sucks - kill it.
“It will be 30 years before Loudoun will start to reap the economic benefits of Metorail….”
That’s all I need to hear.
Loudoun needs to dump this deal.
Don’t be fooled by this propaganda push to make people think this a scheme is a done deal.
These public announcements from LaHood and Co. are a desperate move to shape public opinion…all fluff and NO substance.
Does anyone else notice that they contain no real information on costs, ridership and feasibility?
It is amazing that the Phase 2 agreement is being rushed though with:
1. Preliminary engineering not complete;
2. No information of the details of the $3.825 billion cost (a $500—$600 million increase in the last three months);
3. No amounts showing how much the counties would have to finance including garages and access roads;
4. No feasibility study
5. No commentary on why Federal and State guidelines (EIS ) are being ignored;
6 . No debt and debt service schedule that would be repaid only with tolls;
7. No toll and revenue forecasts and analysis of the impact of additional traffic on free roads.
The Board chose to act without adequate information and public input and many of their comments revealed their own lack of understanding in regard to this project.
We are witnessing the railroading of Virginia, Loudoun and Fairfax. The developers are licking their chops as they eye the windfall that is about to be handed to them.
Wake up people. Go to www.LoudounOptOut.com and take the one question survey.
Good job BoS. Metro to Ashburn is needed as a strong part of Loudoun’s future.
Oh, dear. I wonder how Barbara Muncey is going to react to this. Since the ink drying election this November she has been on a war path of anger and anger and anger. I mean, she cleary has a very vocal complaint against rational people, since she lost her position on the Loudoun County Planning Commission following the 2007 elections, and was dumped on the road side like discarded trash. But than again, maybe for Barbara Muncey, the idea of being discarded is really all that drives her, and others like her, now. I for one, will be in line to buy by ticket, and use a system that takes me all over the D.C. area, and think how nice that is. And besides, I do not have to look out the window of the subway car, and see the trash.
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