The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors lodged a big-sibling style complaint on Tuesday when faced with a Dulles Rail funding proposal that would shift significant responsibility onto the county’s back: “Why should we have to do more than everyone else?”
The predictable answer came from U.S. Department of Transportation Administrator Peter Rogoff, speaking for Secretary Ray LaHood: “Because we trust you, and because you’re the most responsible. Please. We’ll make it worth your while. The secretary and I are relying on you.”
LaHood’s proposal to resolve the impasse over funding for the second phase of the Dulles Rail project does indeed put some added burden on Fairfax, compared to its fellow funding partners — the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Loudoun County.
Fairfax would take on responsibility for funding the Metro station at Route 28, at a cost of $136 million. And it would share with Loudoun County responsibility for building five parking garages near Metro stations, at a shared cost of $235 million.
The airports authority, by contrast, would give up its hoped-for underground Metro station at Dulles International Airport. But while that would save the $3.5 billion project up to $560 million, it wouldn’t actually cost the authority anything.
“It’s great to be the most inviting person at the table, but that seems to be the only role we’re playing on this project,” said Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, D-Hunter Mill. “There has to be a role that makes Fairfax not look like the overall player, but rather a larger shared player with others at the table.”
Supervisor John Cook, R-Braddock, reiterated his long support for rail to Dulles, but said that as a practical matter, searching for more and more money from taxpayers becomes difficult.
“Every good thing has a point where it becomes to expensive to be good anymore,” he said.
Rogoff all but promised substantial help from the federal government to pay for the county’s share of the financial burden. He emphasized that Fairfax, as opposed to the airports authority, is in excellent financial standing to receive that federal help. But he stopped short of promising that 100 percent of the county’s added costs would be covered, saying he’s “not the expert” on specific funding mechanisms.
Supervisors have until July 20 to decide if they’ll accept LaHood’s proposal.
