Action on Metro Extension Through Tysons Corner

In January, I expressed some serious concerns about the proposed Metrorail extension through Tysons Corner.  After all, when taxpayer dollars are at stake, we want to be sure that they are spent wisely and on sound investments.

To their credit, Governor Tim Kaine and the members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation have demonstrated an overwhelming commitment to spearheading the changes needed to keep this project moving forward, most notably with regard to the proposal’s cost effectiveness and to securing a local financial commitment.

Earlier today, Federat Transit Administrator (FTA) Jim Simpson announced that we have sent the required 10-day notification to Congress signifying our intent to move this substantially-improved proposal into the Final Design stage of FTA’s New Starts Process. This means that FTA will commit $158.7 million to use toward completion of a financial plan, construction plans, detailed engineering specifications and cost estimates, as well as other technical requirements.

This project is much better today than it was in January. While today’s action is the first step toward final approval, it should by no means be seen as a guarantee of full funding. We are looking for more progress in addressing Metro’s state of good repair and more action on reducing the risks posed to taxpayers by the potential for cost overruns and schedule delays.

Governor Kaine is guest blogging today about the Metrorail extension project through Tysons Corner on DOT’s new Fast Lane blog. I welcome him to the Fast Lane.

-Secretary Peters

Comments

[gilest]

I have been following the progress of Tysons Corner Extension with interest, and am glad to see that recent issues are being worked out - none of the concerns appeared irresolvable, and this project is too important to the region to stumble at this stage.

In the UK, where passenger rail is a more established mainstream mode of transport, we worked through many similar issues on commuter and community rail projects and many of those are now providing vital transport connections to priority regeneration areas and areas experiencing rapid growth. We need to ensure the communities in these areas continue to grow with the best transportation options we can give them, and the Metro extension to Tysons Corner should do just that. It's very good to see this progress and continuing commitment from all involved.

[Randolph Atkins]

The Can't Do Nation

If you had any doubt that the United States' technological edge is wearing away, just look at this project -- which includes a noisy aerial rail splitting through through the urban area of Tysons Corner, Virginia (ironically, one of the country's high-tech corridors).

Virtually every politician and government official says a tunnel would be the preferred way of bringing Metrorail to Dulles International Airport through Tysons. But, few officials in our various levels of government have the conviction to stand behind that ideal.

The technology to dig the tunnel cost-effectively is available and proven. Large-bore tunneling has been used to modernize cities in Asia and Europe. That our government can't figure out a way to improve citizens' lives by using the latest technology -- in one of the richest parts of America -- is a sad but very real sign that something is broken in this nation's innovation engine.

[Rama]

At last, this project approved.
I welcome with whole heart.. this helps to reduce time to commute to DC from my City Ashburn.
Also, Please make sure finish this project as soon as possible !

[Steven]

I am extremely disappointed to see the government further fund planning of this backwards-thinking project. If you look at massive infrastructure projects in the post-WWII era, you can see the lines of thinking that, less than 10 years after they were built, were seen as wastes of money and destroyed cities. Primarily, these were elevated structures - look at I-93 in Boston and the Embarcadero in San Francisco as two of the grossest examples of elevated structures being dismantled to rejoin cities divided by a structure. For those two, there are thousands of other examples of roads tossed up on bridges that now not only are falling apart and needing massive amounts of maintenance, but still separate cities, like the old "wrong side of the railroad tracks" adage. Alone in Texas, which you are familiar with, look in Dallas at Central Expressway, Woodall Rogers, I-35E Stemmons; or in San Antonio I-35, I-10 bypass, I-37.

This plan will constrain Tysons even worse than it already is - you don't ask Fairfax County their plans for increasing density in Tysons, their plans for allowing mobility in Tysons (attacking not only the over-capacity roads to possibly function properly but also people to walk to the rail line - walking is nearly impossible anywhere in Tysons today), or provide for future growth.

This plan is merely sticking a finger in the dam. A tunnel is much more forward thinking, allowing for a real shift in the design of Tysons and Fairfax County to fix past errors in development. I hate to think in 20 years more taxpayer dollars will be blown into correcting this debacle.

I hope the FTA strongly reviews the effect of this proposed line on mobility in Tysons (which is beyond hideous currently, trapping people for hours on end in idling cars and buses), and realistically predicts passenger usage with origin and destinations along the line, as well as the ability for the existing metro infrastructure to handle the increased load.

[Jon Cherner]

YEA!! Great Job Secretary Peters. All of us in Northern Virginia greatly appreciate your support. Many thanks.

[Randy]

Steven is absolutely right. This plan is a backwards-thinking debacle. A tunnel should be built through Tysons Corner.

The proposed noisy aerial eyesore splitting through a key urban area of Virginia will be a national embarrassment.

Everyone...EVERYONE agrees that a tunnel through Tysons is best. The American Society of Civil Engineers said at tunnel was the logical choice. Other countries are using the latest technology to do large bore tunneling. But this "can't do nation" can't figure out a way to make it happen. It's just another sign that this country is losing its technological edge.

Since VA Governor Kaine fought so hard for for this ill-advised plan, I propose that the future aerial dinosaur through Tysons Corner be named after him...perhaps "The Tim Kaine Skytrain." Put his name right on it.

After all, he deserves to have his name prominently displayed so that future generations can know who's responsible for that
dubious achievement...at least until they tear it down.

[Randy]

Jon Cherner's comment is both wrong and disingenuous. "All of us in Northern Virginia" do NOT support the current plan for Dulles rail. An aerial structure through the urban area of Tysons Corner (instead of a tunnel) would be a travesty. Mr. Cherner is quite simply looking to cash in on his property that sits adjacent to the proposed rail line...without regard for whether the plan is good for the area.

[K. Coates]

When I wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post on this subject ("Maglev to Dulles") on May 2 of 2004, oil was $40 per barrel. In the article, I suggested the idea of tunneling through Tyson's Corner to Union Station. Four years later, oil is bumping up against $120 per barrel, and we are still debating transit projects like we have all the time in the world. We don't.

To the point, the existing Metro technology is inadequate for the job of connecting Dulles to the downtown area. Fifty mph subways are fine for servicing stops every 1/2 mile or so in dense urban areas, but far from efficient for bridging long distances - the trip from Dulles to Union Station will take over an hour and during peak travel times the trains will inevitably be packed long before they reach the inner lying stations.

The area needs two systems - one for servicing Northern Virginia as a local collector (slow speed) and a higher speed express with fewer stops to provide quick links to outlying areas.

What is now proposed merely attempts to link outlying areas to the Metro system - a system fast approaching its passenger capacity and maintenance limits.

The reason I suggested maglevs as a better mode was their vastly superior life cycle costs, extremely low noise profiles, fully automated operations, surperior safety, and ability to operate in weather conditions that would shut down both metro and our highway system.

Where is the vision for providing the best technology available for future generations? The Metro extension isn't about maglevs being too expensive or unproven, because that is simply not the case any longer. They are amazingly reliable, quiet, energy efficient and cost effective... and they are not being considered. One idiotic reason related to me was that Metro wants to maintain "system integrity." In other words, they want to stay stuck in the past and wedded to an inferior and expensive to maintain technology.

I realize everyone is trying their best to do the right thing with the information at their disposal. This is evidently a case of inadequate information making it into the decision making process.

Maybe our government officials should get out of their cars and start riding mass transit in this area on a regular basis and find out what life is like for the people who depend on transit to get around. Then they should take a trip to Europe or Japan and ride their transit systems for a while. Maybe then, America might start seeing some more inspired transit initiatives being put forth.