Politics & Government

RCA Calls MWAA Public Hearings 'a Sham'

Citizens' group says Metro does not really want to hear public input on toll increases.

 "are a sham" and a marketing exercise.

MWAA has scheduled three area hearings, including one on Sept. 12 at to collect citizen feedback on planned increases for the Dulles Toll Road that will help finance Metro's Silver Line, currently under construction.

RCA says MWAA should call the meetings a "public show and tell."

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“RCA is deeply disappointed in MWAA’s cynical plan to give the appearance of soliciting public comment without any of the substance,” RCA President Colin Mills said in a statement. “Even though MWAA claims to be interested in hearing the public’s opinion, MWAA’s plan for the hearings does not lay out a clear agenda, and seems more like a forum for the public to walk through and, at best, ask MWAA staffers questions one‐on‐one. These meetings are ‘public hearings’ in name only.”

Tammi Petrine, an RCA Board member and co‐chair of its Reston 2020 Committee calls MWAA's board "ethically challenged."

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“The ethically challenged MWAA Board of Directors, a public entity, seems to believe it can avoid dealing with the public," she said in a statement. "It thinks these annual displays of MWAA’s progress are sufficient to keep the public informed and at bay. The Board, in particular, has shown  no indication that it is prepared, much less wishes, to deal with a public outraged with the forecast tripling of tolls over the next six years, and more later.”"


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