Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, in his response Friday defending the Dulles Rail project to federal transportation officials, suggested the Metrorail extension could be changed to preserve the “shared goal of rail in the Dulles corridor.”
Kaine, who is scrambling to convince the Federal Transit Administration to reverse course after it signaled the project likely won’t be funded, reasserted that many of the problems with the proposed rail line weren’t brought to light until last week. He also argued the agency, which holds the keys to $900 million in federal funding, had signaled the project was on track for approval in recent months, and that the proposed line indeed meets federal standards.
But the letter is peppered with suggestions that big changes could come to Dulles Rail to secure federal funding, though the governor was not specific on what those alterations could entail.
“We are committed to working as creatively as we can with the FTA and your office to answer any concerns,” wrote the governor. “And, if we need to make additional adjustments – small or large – to proceed forward into final design, we are ready to explore those with you.”
The FTA says the rail is not only too expensive to meet federal cost-benefit standards, but that its manager – the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority – is too inexperienced and its operator – Metro – is too poorly funded.
After an appeal by Republican U.S. Sen. John Warner, the agency agreed to forestall a final decision until Kaine could respond.
“No party should be wedded to any particular approach, so long as we advance the shared goal of rail in the Dulles corridor without undue delay,” Kaine wrote.
The first-phase construction contract between the Airports Authority and the contractors – Bechtel Infrastructure and Washington Group International – calls for a new track to split from Metro’s Orange Line after the East Falls Church station, run along an aerial route through Tysons Corner and end in Reston. The second phase would run the rail past Washington Dulles International Airport into Loudoun County.
