Dulles Airport Metrorail Station: A Terminal Decision, Terry Maynard

"Consultants have been evaluating a secondary location for the station, between Daily Parking Garage No. 1 and Saarinen Circle, that officials have said would save millions of dollars.", Washington Post.

Aside from my general view that rail is much more expensive and less flexible than buses for achieving all the same commuting, airport, and other objectives outlined for the (maybe not so) Silver Line, I find it pathetically laughable now that the MWAA powers-that-be are considering NOT building a station at the Dulles terminal to save 10% on the line's overall cost. Wasn't it Saarinen's intent to have Metrorail at the doorway? Isn't that why we have that unused space in the middle of the access road for 40 years? Isn't that what Metro and MWAA and everyone else in authority said we'd be doing? Isn't that why we're spending more than $6 billion on the Silver Line in the first place?

And now we get word that MWCOG is looking at building 1,650 lane miles of roads at a cost of $52 Billion paid for by tolls. The projected $640 million in savings by moving the Metrorail station out there somewhere is about one percent of what our leaders are planning to spend on roads--and have you pay for in tolls.

So why don't these officials encourage Metrorail use at the expense of toll roads and driving? I know this is heresy, but couldn't they displace some of the vehicular traffic and parking around the Dulles terminal (Oh, no, I have to drive to the door!) and and build a surface station there instead if the 2-mile access tunnel is too expensive? Just askin'!

Oh, MWAA will build a station nearby, within walking distance (about 0.2 miles) over yonder to drop you off so you can walk with your luggage, your kids, and your pets to the terminal. OK, maybe you can use the movable walkway from Daily Parking Garage No. 1, but I'm betting that there is no red cap to greet you and take some of the load off as you step off the Metro.

Enjoy your flight!

The good news is that it will keep the taxis in business, I guess.

What are these people thinking??