Virginia officials outraged by their inability to control ballooning costs of the Dulles Metrorail megaproject made a legislative power grab Tuesday aimed at elbowing out Maryland and District influence over the project. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., with the support of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would give Virginia appointees a majority on the interstate Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors, the group in control of the multibillion-dollar rail project.
Virginia’s representation would increase from five seats to nine. D.C. and federal officials would still have three seats each. Maryland would keep its two seats.
“With both airports located in Virginia and with Northern Virginia residents and local governments providing a lion’s share of the revenue for the Dulles Rail Project, it is only fair that the majority of the board be Virginians,” Wolf said.
“Only fair” to Virginians, however, may prove a tough sell elsewhere.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray “strongly opposes any change to the composition of the [board] that would dilute the interests of the District of Columbia,” said spokeswoman Doxie McCoy.
A spokesman from the Maryland Department of Transportation said officials there have not yet reviewed the legislation.
Airports authority Chairman Charles Snelling has been outspoken in his support of his board’s decisions, saying they reflect the original vision for the Dulles Rail Project laid out in the early 1990s.
The most recent flash point between Virginia officials and the airports authority came over the authority’s decision to build an underground Metro station at Dulles airport even though it costs about $330 million more than the aboveground station favored by those who will pay the bill.
Wolf helped craft the law creating the airports authority in 1986, but said that over the past decade its mission has strayed from representing the interests of the D.C. metro area to representing political interests of the appointing governors, regardless of the burden upon taxpayers and Dulles Toll Road users. His legislation also would allow board members to be replaced by newly elected officials. Under the change, McDonnell, a Republican, would be allowed to oust authority members appointed by his predecessor, former Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, before their terms end.
The price tag for the rail project, originally estimated at $2.5 billion, is now $3.5 billion, with most of that being paid by Loudoun and Fairfax counties and drivers who use the Dulles Toll Road.
Fairfax and Loudoun officials, stuck between public demand for the rail line and public revulsion to increased tolls and taxes, have threatened to pull funding for the project if the authority does not heed their demands for reduced costs. State officials also object to the soaring costs.
“We don’t believe that the project will be financeable unless there’s some major effort made to lower the costs,” state Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said. “We’re already [at least $1 billion] over the original estimate, and all of the financing was based on that original estimate.”
