The airports authority in charge of building the Metro rail extension to Dulles International Airport is considering eliminating the Metro station at the airport.
Instead of stopping at the airport, Metro’s new Silver Line would drop airport passengers off along Route 28 in Fairfax County. Riders would then have to ride a bus or a light rail train another 1.5 miles to the airport, according to a proposal discussed Wednesday by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Altering the course of the Metro line, which is already under construction, would shave about $70 million off of a nearly $6 billion price tag, officials said.
Authority member Bob Brown said having passengers ride a bus – or a light-rail train called a “people mover” – between the Route 28 Metro station and Dulles wouldn’t be much of an additional burden on riders because even if Metro stopped at the airport people would still have to take a hike to the airport terminal.
“In my view this would be superior transportation service for our passengers,” Brown said.
For months, the airports authority was at odds with local and state officials in Virginia because the authority wanted to build an underground Metro station at Dulles even though it cost $300 million more than the aboveground station favored by Virginia officials. The authority eventually backed off and approved the aboveground station. But on Wednesday, MWAA officials revealed for the first time they were considering eliminating the station at Dulles altogether in the name of cutting costs.
Authority members said they have been discussing eliminating the Dulles station among themselves for the last three months.
But most authority members said they oppose eliminating the airport station – even if it does save money – because that was the whole point of building a rail line out to Dulles.
“This is a creative idea, but it’s not rail to Dulles,” board member Mame Reiley said. “Fifteen years ago I might have been supportive, but I just don’t think that’s what we labored for is not to have rail to Dulles.”
The authority on Wednesday also weighed an offer by a Chinese company that wants to help finance the rail line. Board members have talked about seeking a private investor to help reduce the public’s cost of the project, but board members said Wednesday that they believe private financing may end up being more expensive than loan deals being offered by the federal government.
“I think we’re off on a wild goose chase to be quite honest with you,” airports CEO Jack Potter said, adding that private investment wouldn’t be worth the risk.
