The head of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority took what one observer called a “shellacking” Tuesday from Virginia lawmakers upset with the authority’s handling of the Dulles Metro rail project. The state House Transportation Committee dished out question after question to authority chairman Charles Snelling about the way the authority made its decisions regarding the nearly $7 billion project, charging that the unelected MWAA board lacked transparency and disregarded public opinion.
“They have to make some substantive changes in how they make their decisions,” said Del. Joe May, R-Leesburg, chairman of the committee. “Both Democrats and Republicans struck a common theme today, which was: You’re managing our very future in terms of transportation, and it needs to be done correctly – and you’re scaring us.”
The airports authority has faced harsh criticism since April when it decided to build an underground Metro rail station at Dulles Airport, despite the $330 million in additional costs and the strenuous objections of local governments that will pay for it. The authority is now the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general.
“The word ‘dysfunction’ was being used by people on the inside,” said Del. Barbara Comstock, R-McLean, a member of the House committee. “Sunshine is the best disinfectant. So I think that’s what we were all pressing for – sunshine.”
May said he will be sending a letter to the authority formally requesting changes in the way it operates, including limiting the number of private executive sessions it holds and allowing more time for public comment.
Snelling said MWAA would consider the changes in September at the earliest.
“We certainly take seriously the need for transparency,” he said, denying the charge of being dysfunctional. “We made decisions that we thought were the wise and best decisions. They may not have been politically sustainable, which is different.”
But others doubted MWAA would make substantial changes to the way it does business.
“Their body language to me seemed still very resistant,” Comstock said.
Other delegates said the Dulles project should not get any state funding until MWAA cleaned house.
“They cannot stick the taxpayer, and they cannot stick the commuters of Northern Virginia with this whole deal,” Del. Tim Hugo, R-Clifton. “They need to come up with some cost savings and they need to be more transparent.”
