Letter to the Editor

LTE: McDonnell Should Drop MWAA Suit

Former supervisor Stevens Miller weighs in on litigation over Martire’s seat.

The Metropolitan Washington Airport’s Authority Board has been the subject of wide-ranging criticism for its overly generous travel policy granted to its directors. The generous travel policy led Gov. Bob McDonnell to remove Loudoun resident Dennis Martire from the MWAA Board, citing Martire’s travel on behalf of MWAA as his cause for doing so. But just this week a Fairfax judge ruled that McDonnell had not demonstrated cause to remove Martire. It’s not surprising that the judge ruled against McDonnell. No taxpayer money was involved — numerous MWAA directors traveled using funds derived from the service fees paid by airlines and other airport users. However, most people would probably be in favor of a more austere travel policy if it …

•  7 Comments
• Photos (1)

Dave Webster

12:53 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

One more item to consider about Martire's Sardinia junket. The Washington Post noted in a May 31, 2012 editorial that Martire didn't have to go to Sardinia. There were conferences he could have attended in America. Here is a quote: "In a statement, Mr. Martire defended the [Sardinia] trip as 'directly relevant to my duties as a Board member' and 'fully legitimate and absolutely consistent with […   more ›

Letter to the Editor: Stop Tollmageddon

One reader suggests Virginia should revoke MWAA’s operating permit for the Dulles Toll Road.

There are two things that can be done to avoid the problems ahead for commuters and residents around Route 7 between Sterling and Tysons Corner. The first solution: Virginia must retake the Dulles Toll Road (DTR). Secretary Sean Connaughton on April 14, 2012 said the state was so unhappy with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that it would rather finish building the Silver Line itself. “We are actively evaluating whether we can take the project over. These guys [MWAA] are a disaster,” Connaughton said. “We’re at the point, quite honestly, where we think we could potentially do it better, cheaper, faster.” The Virginia Department of Transportation controls the Operating Permit for the DTR and could revoke that permit based on a…

•  3 Comments
• Videos (1)

Bob Bruhns

11:04 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Dulles Toll Road toll problem will be ultimately be 'resolved' by infusing taxpayer money, and transferring the financing largely or totally to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, and possibly partly to the Commonwealth of Virginia. We were assured that the tolls and business tax districts would prevent other tax increases - but that was just another Dulles Rail lie. The kind of toll increases that…   more ›

Silver Line Phase 2 Bidding Begins

At least five groups have surfaced so far with plans to bid on Metro’s project to extend rail to Dulles and Ashburn.

CORRECTION: Five groups have already begun assembling teams to propose bids, not four as initially reported. All five teams are listed at the bottom of the story. Initial story: Hundreds of people representing contractors and subcontractors hoping to be part of the winning bid to construct the second phase of the Metro’s Silver Line to Dulles Airport and Ashburn attended a conference Thursday to learn more about the process and meet construction teams planning to bid on the project. At least five groups have already begun assembling teams to bid on the $1.4 billiion to $1.5 billion “Package A” of the construction project, which includes everything except the rail yard and the five parking garages that may never go to bid. If all goes as …

•  42 Comments
• Photos (10)
• Videos (1)
• Documents (1)

Bob Bruhns

5:47 am on Monday, December 31, 2012

I just happened to notice that I made a mistake. The Dulles Rail Phase 1 Design-Build contract is actually here: Design-Build Contract (7.87 MB PDF) http://www.mwaa.com/file/p1dcmcontract_7_25_08.pdf   more ›

MWAA: Phase 2 of Metrorail Moving Forward

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says the project is moving into the next phase.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has begun the process of selecting a design-build contractor for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.  Beginning Phase 2 is an important milestone for the project to extend to the Dulles Airport and into Loudoun County, MWAA announced on Friday.  MWAA has issued a Request for Qualifications Information in order to solicit information from potential bidders for the 11.5-mile project that will extend from Wiehle Avenue in Reston west to Dulles Airport, ending at Route 772 in eastern Loudoun County. The RFQI has been posted on the Airports Authority website and can be found here.  “We are grateful to our project partners in the Federal Government, Virginia, Fairfax and Loudoun …

•  18 Comments
• Photos (7)

Bob Bruhns

10:46 am on Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Just to clarify, the earlier estimates I mention already included the change from the below ground to the above ground station plan at Dulles Airport, and already assumed that the costs for the Rt 28 station and the five Phase II parking garages just went away. The FTA suggested the number of $2.767 billion (including their $53 million blunder on the Rt 28 station cost, so it should have been $2.…   more ›

Loudoun Opts In On Metro

After contentious four months, a divided board stays with the project.

With more eyes on Loudoun County than likely have ever been on it, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted 5-4 on Tuesday to continue participating with the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which will extend the now-under-construction Silver Line from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Route 772 in Ashburn. “Well the day has finally come for this board to make the decision about the future of Loudoun County,” County Chairman Scott K. York (I-At Large) said as the vote approached. “This will help our employers reach our employees regionally.” York and Supervisors Ken Reid (R-Leesburg), Ralph Buona (R-Ashburn), Matt Letourneau (R-Dulles) and Shawn Williams (R-Broad Run) voted in supported, while Supervisors Suzanne Volpe (R-Algonkian), Geary …

•  57 Comments
• Photos (1)

grizzled

3:20 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012

Thats the best idea, will sell when house prices spike just as the Innovation Center stop is built. Will be nice to get an extra $100 K for just a few years wait.   more ›

Litigious Group Warns Loudoun on Metro

The American Tradition Partnership points to record of unseating candidates.

A group opposed to Loudoun County’s participation in the extension of Metro’s Silver Line sent the county’s Board of Supervisors a letter warning members that they would be targeted in future election for voting in favor of the project. Donald Ferguson, a former aide to Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) and now executive director for American Tradition Partnership, signed the letter, which does not threaten to sue the county, but points to its success in litigation. “ATP has one purpose,” Ferguson wrote to supervisors. “To make sure there are consequences for politicians who want to use taxpayers, mom-and-pop business owners and employers as nothing more than punching bags and ATM machines. We can’t be shut up or shut down.” The …

•  14 Comments
• Photos (1)

MIke

10:53 am on Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Sherri, a lot those same folks when shown how it would be paid for by either taxing their property, or increasing their fuel tax, or increasing taxes on business in a 'tax district' would have said NO to Metro!   more ›

Final Stretch on Loudoun’s Metro Vote

As critical deadline nears, opposition pushes against the project; some proposed tax districts are set aside.

With about a week to decide whether to participate in the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors has set one final work session for 5 p.m. Friday, June 29, at the County Government Center in Leesburg to discuss potential ways to pay for it. And late last week, the opposition to the project continued to distribute fliers that say homeowners and businesses “will get buried in debt and taxes.” The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce has offered support for the project as well as new taxes on businesses to pay for it, with a sunset provision. The fliers left on cars last week join an array of flies left in eastern Loudoun communities in recent weeks. An unidentified group left fliers on cars at a church in Sterling …

•  37 Comments
• Photos (4)
• Documents (1)

Loudoun Metro: Financing Options Discussed

As decision looms on Silver Line participation, supervisors wade through details, analysis.

As the Loudoun Board of Supervisors begins a series of outreach meetings about the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, much of the long-awaited information about parking needs and possible project financing methods has been presented to the board and negotiations may truly begin. Possibly the key discussion residents and supervisors had been waiting for centers on how the county would pay for such a project. Staff members described two tools that could be used in a range of scenarios to pay for the project. The primary new sources of revenue under consideration include a countywide commercial and industrial, or C&I, tax along with a service district tax for properties within one or two miles of the rail stations. Variations were also shown …

•  206 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Bob Bruhns

10:18 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The June 1, 2012 Washington Business Journal article "Reston Town Center 'point of pride' for developer as it celebrates 22 years" also cites the same document for occupancy figures. So we hear certain numbers over and over, but they appear to be coming from an echo chamber. Again I wonder... 82% occupancy = struggle for tenants, but 86% means we need to run out and build more buildings? …   more ›