Rail to Loudoun a "Billion Dollar Opportunity"

Did you see yesterday's article about the "Billion Dollar Opportunity" rail to Loudoun County project in the Loudoun County Economic Development website? If not, here's some of the key highlights:

The Silver Line gives you transit access to the one million workers living within a 20-mile radius. Your company would also be one or two rail stops away from Washington Dulles International Airport, which connects Loudoun to 80 percent of the world’s economies.

A study conducted by Robert Charles Lesser & Co. Real Estate Advisors shows that the Loudoun Metrorail stations will result in an additional 1.4 million square feet of office space development; 670,000 square feet of retail development, and almost 300 more hotel rooms.

In addition to expanding available commercial real estate, officials expect Metrorail to dramatically boost county employment.

Fifty-four percent of all regional jobs are within a half mile of rail stations, according to a 2010 study by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The Metro will give Loudoun businesses better access to the regional workforce, which has the highest education level in the U.S.

Another advantage of locating near the new Loudoun rail stations is lower rent than is available in built-out jurisdictions further up the rail line.

Read the full article here. Thoughts or comments? Let us know below.

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WTOP Reports: Dulles Rail Project Officially Over Budget

WTOP Radio reports that the nearly $2.8 billion first phase of the Dulles Rail project is now officially expected to come in over budget.

During a meeting of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Wednesday, the project leader for Dulles Rail told the MWAA Board he is going to need an additional $150 million for the first phase.

"So, you've got a cost over-run and you are going to be coming back to us for more money?," asked MWAA Board member Robert Clarke Brown.

"That's correct," answered Pat Nowakowski, head of Dulles Rail.

Actually, it won't just be the Authority that has to kick in more -- taxpayers in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties -- as well as drivers on the Dulles Toll Road will have to shoulder the extra costs.

It's been known for some time that the costs for Phase I -- the section that will run from Falls Church, through Tysons Corner, and end at Reston -- have been teetering to stay on budget. Safety changes made to the project after construction was already underway, are the main reason for the over-run. Issues with utility relocation in the Tysons area have also proved costly.

Now, official word that extra funding will be needed. 

Read the full WTOP article.

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Dulles Rail Project Could Stall More Than 40 Virginia Transportation Projects

The McDonnell administration says more than 40 transportation projects in Northern Virginia could be delayed if $300 million more is added to the Dulles Rail Project, the Washington Times reports.

Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said the state would either have to borrow the additional money for Dulles Rail or pull it from transportation projects in development. The list details funding for a handful of projects in Northern Virginia, including two in Loudoun County — $42 million in bonds for an interchange at Route 659/Belmont Ridge Road and $7.5 million to extend the Battlefield Parkway.

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Dulles Rail Project Could Derail if Loudoun County Backs Out

If Loudoun County walks away from the Dulles Rail project, it could be years before the next phase gets back on track. That means more years until a Metro train finally makes it to Dulles International Airport.

WTOP Radio's Adam Tuss reported that sobering message was delivered Wednesday by Scott York, chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.

"It'll probably delay the project up to three years," York told a room full of business leaders, developers and elected officials during a conference hosted by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. "I think if Loudoun County opts out it will be a huge mistake."

Read the full WTOP article.

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Dulles Rail Work Slowing Orange Line Service between East and West Falls Church through Weekend

Metrorail service between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations along the Orange Line will be slowed overnights Friday, March 16, through Sunday, March 18, because of single-tracking to allow testing associated with the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

This weekend, beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday, Orange Line trains will single track between East Falls Church and West Falls Church to allow for cable installation for rail project.

Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will depart Vienna and New Carrollton every 20 minutes. Customers should allow 10-15 minutes of additional travel time.

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Ashburn District Updates: Rail to Loudoun County; Belmont Ridge Road and Morley Corner

From Ashburn District Supervisor Ralph Buona's February Ashburn District newsletter comes this update on Rail to Loudoun County:

The Board is anxiously awaiting the delivery of the preliminary engineering study for Phase 2 of the Metro project also known as the Silver Line or “Rail to Loudoun”. This study was conducted by Parsons Brinckerhoff and Aecom and submitted on Wednesday, February 29th to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Once we receive this study from MWAA, we will have 90 days to decide whether to “stay in” or “opt out” of the project. I have long been a proponent of Rail to Loudoun for myriad reasons; however, I am reserving my final support of until I have had a chance to review the overall financial picture, from both a capital investment and long-term operating perspective.

Before giving my final support I also want to ensure that MWAA removes any mandatory mention of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) from its bid documents including their current bid preference to union-based companies. Virginia is a right to work state and I cannot support any project that provides preference to union labor as it would preclude most Virginia companies and Virginia workers from participating in the project. All I ask is that all bidders be treated equally to ensure we keep costs to the absolute minimum.

Buona also updates residents on several transportation projects:

Route 659 (Belmont Ridge Road)/ Route 7: The first phase of the public process for the construction of the Route 659 (Belmont Ridge Road)/ Route 7 interchange was held on February 23 at Seldon’s Landing Elementary. The public input meeting was led by engineering consultant Dewberry. Close to 30 residents posed questions to Dewberry, Loudoun County and VDOT staff during the meeting. Dozens of residents and other interested community members reviewed design plans and maps, and posed questions to Loudoun County and VDOT staff, as well as Dewberry representatives. This project will reconstruct the current intersection of Route 7 and Belmont Ridge Road to a “single-point, urban interchange”, with Belmont Ridge passing over Route 7. Belmont Ridge Road is scheduled to be widened and realigned to four lanes through the intersection with Gloucester Parkway. A shared use trail will run on both sides of the road and continue over the overpass to connect to the Lansdowne community. Stay tuned for updates as this project continues.

Morley Corner - Waxpool Road/Faulkner Parkway/Unbridled Way: This project is to design and widen Waxpool Road between Faulkner Parkway and Unbridled Way from two to four lanes. A traffic signal will be installed at the four-way stop currently at Ashburn Village Boulevard and Waxpool Road. The project is being administered by the Loudoun Office of Transportation and Department of Construction and Waste Management. It is fully funded at this time with the estimated cost at $5.2 million. The design of the project is completed. Right of way plats and deeds of dedication are being prepared. When Right of Way has been obtained, the project will go out to bid and construction is anticipated to begin in the early fall.

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Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli Says "Kill" the Dulles Rail Project

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli hopes "they" kill the Dulles rail project.

"I hope they don't do Phase Two," Cuccinelli said recently on WMAL's Morning Majority. "I mean, Phase One is already two and a half times its original cost."

According to the WMAL Radio article, Cuccinelli says Phase Two, which will extend Metro from Wiehle Avenue to the airport, is an especially bad deal for Loudoun County.

Read all of the WMAL article and listen to the interview (via YouTube).

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Media Coverage On the Dulles Rail Tunnel at Dulles International Airport

According to the Washington Business Journal, Virginia state and local officials are refusing to pay the extra costs associated with construction of the Dulles rail project because of a disagreement over where to build the Metro station at Dulles International Airport, the Washington Examiner reports.

"The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority voted last week to build the station underground, closer to the terminal, for a price that is $300 million more than the cost of an aboveground station with a slightly longer walk. The airports authority defied the state Department of Transportation and Fairfax and Loudoun counties, which have to pay for much of the project, including the station. Now the three have banded together to muscle the authority into reconsidering."

Barbara Hollingsworth, local opinion editor with the Washington Examiner writes, "Under the funding agreement, Loudoun's Board of Supervisors is legally required to vote on whether to participate in funding Phase Two within 90 days of receiving the completed preliminary engineering report."

"But the MWAA has no contractual obligation to provide supervisors with a traffic or revenue analysis, leading Loudoun Board Chairman Scott York to speculate that "it could end up costing more to ride the toll road than it could to ride the Metro."

"So Loudoun supervisors are expected to vote blindly on an issue of paramount concern to tens of thousands of their constituents with no public hearing, no traffic or revenue analysis, no nothing. Dulles Toll Road users are supposed to just shut up and pay -- but continue driving on the toll road, of course, because if they don't, Dulles Rail's shaky financial scaffolding collapses under its own substantial weight."

WJLA TV-7 video.


WAMU Radio also has the story (audio file). "Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York told WAMU's David Schultz last week that he was 'very disappointed' the MWAA board chose the pricier option for the station."

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