Politics has played a major role in the Dulles Rail project since its inception. The failure of politicians to address fundamental economic and financial facts of life has caused the entire Dulles Rail disaster. The "build it and they will come" mentality must be challenged given potential massive federal spending cuts.

The Federal Transit Administration rejected Phase 2 funding in 2002 due to a lack of projected rail ridership demand and related lack of cost effectiveness. No study has ever been produced to demonstrate project feasiblity. Projected capital costs have tripled during the last decade. Nobody has yet shown the total costs of station area infrastructure needed or who will pay for it - in Tysons or the Dulles Corridor.

The entire financial plan for Dulles Rail was aranged behind closed doors, initially in 2005/2006 by then Governor Kaine and his DNC buddy Mame Reiley who was then Chairman of MWAA. Even then Fairfax County Board Chairman Gerry Connolly expressed concern about lack of local representation in decision making.

Since summer 2011, Transportation Secertary Ray La Hood has held six or more closed door meetings with the "Dulles Rail funding partners." La Hood, his Federal Transit Administration head Peter Rogoff, MWAA buddies and rail advocates from Fairfax and Loudoun counties have wilfully excluded Dulles Toll Road users, the major funding partners.

Why does the Patch not advocate for fairness and transparency in decision making?

Appreciate the digest of articles, Karen. -- Strongly encourage an investigative piece on meetings behind closed doors, as you mentioned. It is unconscionable that the various entities, including MWAA, secretly arranged "funding" (to include uncompetitive union sweetheart deals), and then dump most (75%?) of the costs on Dulles Tollroad drivers to pay. Totally unacceptable. Unfortunately, tollroad drivers are diffused and not an organized entity, which is one reason they selected us to be the sheep-to-be-shorn. Who else would tolerate it? And, we should not. Light should be shed on this terribly-flawed shell-game of a process. -Thanks again for Patch, Karen!

First this article should be accurate. MWAA had a mandatory PLA. Virginia requested MWAA go to voluntary. MWAA did this. The incentive is to encourage contractors to use the same Pla that was used on phase 1that appears to not be in violation of Virginia's Right to Work laws. Also it as kept the project on schedule and on budget. The Virginia Transprtation Secretary and Governor's office approved this direction. But once again decided to move the goal posts again and reject the incentive that was approved 11-0 by the MWAA Board. Still not requiring anyone to bid using a Pla but encouraging its use because why would you change the work rules, pay, benefits on the workforce in the middle of a 6 billion dollar project. You're asking for workforce problems by changing conditions. This is a red herring. If Loudoun and Governor McDonnell want to kill the project then it will be there legacy. How stupid would this be ? It would rank up there with one of the dumbest political decisions in modern time.

Burt has this pegged EXACTLY. The PLA, etc. are red herrings. The real issue is the victimization of DTR users. Yes, we are a diverse, disconnected group but Reston 2020 is making the case over and over as to why this stupid funding scheme will kill the corridor.

Hey, Sec. LaHood: You claim to have all of the "stakeholders" are the table. You have NOT included the most important group of all who will boycott the dang toll road and deny the funds to pay off the bonds!!!

And, HEY, guess what? Bond companies and bond newsletters have already been in touch with Reston 2020 to get our FACTS and FIGURES. So Steakholders... oops, I meant stakeholders, get us involved or flounder. No one is stupid enough to pay the tolls that MWAA demands and the whole shooting match will fail miserably.

Reston 2020 and Dulles Toll Road (DTR) users are fair and reasonable. INCLUDE us and get this ball rolling. As it stands, the plan to get METRO to Dulles and Loudoun County will be the very factor that will destroy the corridor if this whole plan is not revised.

Our own elected officials are failing us miserably in this crisis. "We are working to lower tolls" is NOT an answer. The ENORMOUS FINANCING COST to be borne by a tiny demographic is the cause. Come up with much more capital, my friends, and "not to buy down the tolls" but to pay the bill NOW without 40 years of interest at junk bond rates. Makes you want to check the cost of construction VERY CLOSELY, doesn't it???

Tammi as usual gives her views in plain English. "Our own elected officials are failing us miserably in this crisis." This includes both Democrat and Republican elected officials and most current candidates for elected office. We need them all to answer questions publicly on what they intend to do about the Dulles Rail project and financing plan if elected or re-elected.

Karen, if you are truly impartial and merely posting what was said by Washington Post columnists who don't bother to investigate reality outside the Capital Beltway, you wouldn't have used the "some thoughtful analysis" comment in your intro.

You seem not to want to understand or accept what Patch commentators have said about the potentially far more harmful long term fundamental economic problem resulting ftrom increased tolls planned by MWAA. If approved, increased tolls will impact Dulles Corridor businesses and residents for the next 50 years. The presently infeasible and unfair rail financing plan must be revised radically.

Sadly, no politician or government official has yet taken effective action - not Ray La Hood, FTA Administrator Rogoff, Governor McDonnell or Secretary Sean Connaughton. As for Fairfax County officials, what a disaster!

See also the baloney being fed to Loudoun County officials about the potential econmic benefits of rail from the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and its allies. Tony Howard and Dr. Fuller would do well selling swamp land in Florida.

Drove on Lawyers Rd. from Vienna to Reston today. One lane all the way; long, slow line of cars. I shudder to contemplate the bumper-to-bumper crawl of Toll Road refugees, as the tolls rise to the sky. Toll increases really must be opposed and prevented before it's too late. If they get away with raising them beyond the present (already-high), there will be no end to funding projects at DTR drivers' expense. We all know that once tolls go up, they are not ever coming down again. Anybody disagree?