RCA's Silver Line Resolution: A Detailed View

As I've stated in previous blog posts, RCA's goal is to be the voice of Reston citizens on issues that matter to the future of our community.  In service of that goal, the RCA Board at our last meeting calling for an independent audit of the costs of the Metro Silver Line.  If you haven't yet read the resolution, it's posted on RCA's Reston 2020 Committee blog.  And now that you have read it, let me take this opportunity to explain why RCA is calling for an audit, what we hope it will accomplish.

Some critics might say that the audit is a back-door method to attempt to block the Silver Line (or at least Phase 2) from bring built.  That is absolutely not the case.  Let me be clear: RCA is not opposed to the Silver Line.  And given that Phase 1 terminates at Wiehle Avenue, and any delay or cancellation of Phase 2 would mean more traffic on Reston streets, we would very much like to see the line extended to Dulles as soon as possible.

The goal of the audit is not to stop the Silver Line in its tracks; rather, we want to make sure that its completion does not result in an undue burden on Toll Road users and Reston's citizens.  As you probably know, Phase 1 of the Silver Line was paid for with a combination of federal and state funds, a special tax district on businesses in the Dulles corridor, and tolls.

For Phase 2, there is no federal money being contributed (although the U.S. Department of Transportation has recently indicated that the project may be able to use low-interest TIFIA loans to reduce the overall project cost).  Nor is the Commonwealth of Virginia contributing money for Phase 2 (at least so far).

As presently constituted, 25 percent of the cost of Phase 2 is to be borne by Fairfax and Loudoun counties and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), and the rest of the cost will be be paid for through increased tolls on the Toll Road.

RCA has been in the lead on warning the public about potentially steep toll increases.  Reston 2020 published a paper in April of this year analyzing the funding structure for Phase 2 and indicating the impact that cost increases might have on tolls and Toll Road usage rates.  (Remember, if drivers start avoiding the Toll Road because the tolls are too high, they're going to have to go somewhere.  And "somewhere" is most likely the already-crowded surface streets in and around Reston.) 

Acting in response to the concerns expressed by RCA and others, Reston's representatives to the General Assembly, Del. Ken Plum and Sen. Janet Howell, in September and asked for additional state funds to help pay for Phase 2 and keep the tolls down.  I thank Del. Plum and Sen. Howell for their efforts in this regard.  But state funding or federal loans aren't going to be the only way to solve the funding issues.

That's where the audit comes in.  In order to develop a funding plan that doesn't overburden the users of the Toll Road, we need to know how much Phase 2 is really going to cost. 

If we're going to undertake cost-cutting measures, we need to know where the costs are, and understand the magnitude of savings required.  If we're going to seek alternate funding sources (requesting money from the state, for instance, or tolling the Dulles Access Road), we can make a stronger case if we've completely vetted the cost and schedule of the project.  And by studying Phase 1 as well, we can learn from the successes and mistakes in that part of the project, and apply those lessons learned to Phase 2.

What RCA is calling for is fairly simple: a full audit, conducted by a respected and independent auditor with no ties to the project or the major players.  The auditor's work will be overseen by a panel containing a balance of experts (for subject-matter knowledge), local officials (who have the power to make changes and act on the audit's findings), and area residents (because it's our neighborhoods, our tolls, and our taxes that will be affected). 

The meetings of the oversight panel will be open to the public, so that the citizens can see what's happening for themselves.  We propose that the US Department of Transportation pay for the audit; if it leads to recommendations for project savings or potential new funding sources, the audit will pay for itself many times over.

If done properly, the audit would be a valuable source of information about the project, for the public and the responsible parties alike.  If the audit reveals potentially serious cost increases lurking for Phase 2, it will be better to know that now, so we can prepare for it.

If the audit suggests avenues for cost savings, it will make the project better for everyone.  And if the audit shows that future tolls can be expected to skyrocket, it will give our local officials a stronger case for seeking out new funding sources, to make sure that Toll Road users aren't shouldering an unfair burden.

By calling for an audit of the costs of the Silver Line, RCA is fulfilling its commitment to stand up for the citizens of Reston, and make sure that the extension of the Metro works out in the best possible way for Reston's future.