Silver Line Parties to Meet with LaHood

Stakeholders in Metro's Silver Line Phase 2 will meet on Wednesday with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in the hopes of avoiding a delay - or even a collapse of plans - to the second part of rail to Dulles, The Washington Post reports.

The move comes as the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said this week it would not put out requests for bids on the project until Loudoun County supervisors vote on whether to help pay for the project. The supervisors have until July 4. Fairfax Supervisors reconfirmed their support last week.

Phase 2 is scheduled to run from Reston's Wiehle Avenue to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County. However, there is growing concern about no federal funding, a dearth of state funding (Virginia lawmakers passed an $85 billion budget this week with no extra money for Metro),  tolls that could increase exponentially in order to cover rail costs and a mandatry project-labor agreement.

Last year, LaHood helped negotiate a deal among the stakeholders in the project -- MWAA, Metro, Loudoun and Fairfax counties, and Virginia --  on how to finance the nearly $3 billion rail line.

Construction on the second phase, which runs to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County, was expected to start in early 2013.