MWAA Board Votes in Favor of LaHood's Dulles Rail Plan

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board reversed its course on its plans for an underground station at Dulles International Airport, voting 11-1 Wednesday to

The MWAA board voted in April for the underground station, which would be more convenient for travelers but would increase costs by about $300 million

Mame Reiley, chair of MWAA's Dulles Corridor Committee, said on Wednesday she still believes the underground station was the right thing for Dulles.

"Although the difference in cost between the two choices has no direct impact on the cost of the tolls, our decision has become a political football," Reiley said in a statement to the MWAA board. "Elected officials running for re-election want the public to believe that the  underground station = higher tolls. ...  However, during this process I've learned an unfortunate lesson: don't ever let doing the right thing stand in the way of politics.

"It is a disappointment to me that other great international cities place a higher priority on their public transportation and airport rail systems than we seem to do," she said. "I believe, to our detriment, we are preparing to act in a short-sighted way."

Reiley presented several measures (outlined in a PDF with this story) that "leaves the door open to a better plan in the future."

 LaHood's proposal also include, including kicking back a $136 million Route 28 station to Fairfax County and more than $100 million for parking garages to Fairfax and Loudoun counties, that will save an estimated $1 billion.

The new plan will cost about $2.8 billion, down from the $3.8 billion it would have cost to construct the underground station closer to the terminal. 

Loudoun County Chairman Scott York said the funding partners had a short and cordial meeting with LaHood Wednesday afternoon, where they agreed to meet again in a few weeks to hammer out some existing concerns.

York said that although MWAA’s decision to build an aerial station at Dulles  is a “good leap forward” he isn’t ready to say with authority that the second phase is back on track because of two remaining concerns.

One concern that Loudoun leaders have is that they are given the full 90 days that is allowed by contract to walk away from the second phase once final costs are determined.  He said his board is not willing to give up that 90-day window as part of negotiations.

York said Loudoun officials do not have capacity in their capital improvements plan to include funding for parking garages to support Loudoun rail stations.

Fairfax County Chairwoman Sharon Bulova said both Loudoun and Fairfax support LaHood’s funding proposal that includes about $1 billion in cuts. She said Fairfax can afford to pay for the parking garages but she isn’t as confident about having enough to build the Route 28 station.

She said she will ask the county supervisors on Tuesday to approve LaHood’s funding plan before she directs staff to work with the funding partners to resolve the remaining concerns.

“The biggest element of reducing the cost was the above-ground station. That saves over $500 million,” she said.

To read Fairfax Couty's point-by-point response, click here.

Also in favor of LaHood's plan: and the business leaders from U.S. Reps Frank Wolf and Gerry Connolly, Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston) and

Mark Ingrao, President and CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Silver Line Phase 2 Coalition, says he was "thrilled" with Wednesday's vote.

"We think this certainly bodes will for the Silver Line being completed and going into Loudoun County," he said. "This was a huge hurdle."

Ingaro says he will be interested to see whether the board rules on the Project Labor Agreement (the coalition feels it should not be mandatory) and what public-private partnerships could be put in place to offset costs to the counties.

Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said even though the LaHood proposal will cost less, much of the cost (such as for garages and the Route 28 station) has just been moved around.

"I will say that neither the commonwealth nor the feds are keeping a commitment to the citizens," she said. "More cost is now pushed down to the local level."

Jim Corcoran, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Silver Line Phase 2 coalition, agrees that too much of the burden is now on local jurisdictions.

"While the Chamber supports most provisions of Secretary LaHood’s proposal, the current proposal places an unfair burden on Fairfax County taxpayers," he said in a statement. "Sec. LaHood’s proposal adds $136 million to Fairfax County’s share of the cost by transferring responsibility for the Route 28 Metro station."

 The board had been meeting with LaHood and Federal Transportation Administration officials since June 1 to try and work out cost-cutting measures. Some officials feared the project could be in jeopardy, making Reston's Wiehle Avenue station - the last stop on Phase 1 - the end of the line.