Reps. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and Gerry Connolly, D-Va., wrote a joint letter Thursday backing a plan that would reduce costs to Dulles Rail construction while finally allowing the massive project to move forward.
The plan, crafted by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and reported last week, calls for an aboveground Metro station at Dulles International Airport as well as some additional costs to be assumed by Fairfax County, Loudoun County and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. LaHood’s proposal would pare about $1 billion from the project’s $3.8 billion cost.
The proposal would require Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Metro and the airports authority “to share in the sacrifices to make this project more cost effective,” the letter said. “In a perfect world, these measures would not be necessary. But in today’s fiscal environment, they are.”
The airports authority, which oversees the project, has long supported an underground station instead of one above ground. Authority Chairman Charles Snelling has insisted that the $330 million to be saved by going with an aboveground station would not make a noticable difference in the toll charges on the Dulles Toll road that will help finance the project.
Local officials and the airports authority have until July 20 to decide whether to move forward with LaHood’s plan.
