Letter: Train on second phase of Dulles Rail has jumped the tracks, Terry Maynard, Fairfax Times, Sept. 2, 2011

Until last November when I learned about the 40 percent, $1 billion increase in the construction cost of Phase 2 of the Dulles Metrorail line, I had not paid much attention to the major construction project literally in the middle of my community, Reston. But even jaded northern Virginians wake up when someone adds $1 billion to their tab.

Then I learned the proposal called for toll road users to pay three-quarters of the Phase 2 cost, more than $2.7 billion over five decades. Now MWAA — the rail construction and toll road manager — says that, despite some possible cuts in that toll cost share, if federal, state, and local authorities all agree to new financing arrangements, that means the full toll will reach at least $10 by 2020 and could easily reach $15 by then — a five- to seven-fold increase from today’s tolls.

That’s as much as $4,000 to $6,000 per year for Dulles corridor toll road commuters. Toll costs will only go up from there for the next 30 years at least. And still toll road users would pay well over half of the total five-and-a-half-billion-dollar cost of the Metrorail line, a line whose total cost was projected to be just $2.7 billion just seven years ago.

And the deal that would enable these “lower” toll rate increases is far from done — and its prospects are fading, according to many. Indeed, one area newspaper has characterized the deal as in a “death spiral”; another has said the funding partners “have made little progress in the last few weeks in finalizing a new funding agreement.” A third news source reports, “The deal that was all but done is now hanging in the balance. The parties can’t seem to agree on just what was agreed to in the compromise. ...”

Indeed, our state and local political leaders, and the unelected MWAA leadership, are playing a huge game of chicken over Phase 2 financing with your money, each willing to commit to paying a little more after some other party has committed more as well — or making threats. Needless to say, it’s all the more difficult with state legislators and county supervisors up for re-election this November. Who among them wants to be the first to agree to taking on more costs for the state or county — and more taxes for local businesses and citizens? On the other hand, the less the US government, state and counties take on, the more their constituents will have to pay in tolls. No wonder they are all lying low, refusing to comment on the lousy state of affairs, and playing their cynical “Apres vous, Alphonse” game.

So what could happen? I’d guess there is still a 50-50 chance the financing arrangement now on the table will go through, costing toll road users “only” $10 to $15 each way in 2020 and adding to our local property taxes to make up the difference. In theory, all this is supposed to be worked out in September. I doubt it will be with elections in the offing.

But if a new agreement is not reached:

• MWAA could go ahead and build Phase 2 — with or without stations between Wiehle Avenue (the end of Phase 1) and Dulles airport — whether or not the counties backed out “consistent with the Airports Authority's commitment to the Commonwealth to build the Project,” per the partners’ funding agreement. Dulles corridor residents could just watch the trains go by Reston Town Center and the Herndon-Monroe area without stopping, or pay tolls through the nose.

• The Metrorail line could end with Phase 1 at Wiehle Avenue. Yep, right here in the middle of Reston, turning it into a massive parking lot for the thousands wishing to drive to Metro’s terminus and not solving either airport access or corridor traffic problems.

The lack of area political leadership in solving this huge financial problem has been amazing. The effort led by the U.S. Department of Transportation has been one of simply moving the Dulles airport station above ground (saving about 5 percent) and shifting some other costs to Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Here are some others’ thoughts I’ve heard:

• With Congressional legislation, turn the Dulles access road into a “HOT” lane, charging at least the same as the lesser of the toll road or Metrorail charge for the length of the ride.

• Have WMATA — the only direct benefactor from the Metrorail extension — participate in the financing of the Dulles rail line. Indeed, this is the only line extension it has not helped finance.

• Split the costs of line construction equally among the five contributors — MWAA non-toll contribution via increased passenger/cargo fees, the federal government, Virginia, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and toll road users.

And there may be others. None of these are perfect or easy. All of them are better than the current arrangement, and none address MWAA’s pathetic failure to control Bechtel’s construction costs.

All of our area state and county candidates — incumbents and challengers — must speak up regarding the financing of Phase 2 of Metrorail. What is your answer to this costly Metrorail financing dilemma? Talk to your electorate — and be clear and concrete. And, electorate, demand straight answers from your candidates on these issues vital to our area’s future.

As for me, I’m looking for any good answer in this bad situation.

Terry Maynard, Reston