Don't Look To Virginia For More Metrorail Money, McDonnell Says

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is looking for ways to make up the cash shortfall to pay for Phase 2 of the Silver Line. They probably should not look to Virginia's commonwealth coffers.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Monday the state would not contribute $150 million to the construction of the rail extension to Dulles International Airport, despite pleas for more money from the board of MWAA.

“At this point, I’m certainly not willing to do that,’’ McDonnell told The Washington Post. “We need to reduce the cost back to the $2.5 billion estimate that we had when this project first started ... We haven’t put a dime of new money on the table, and at this point we don’t have any plans to.”

Last week, the MWAA board met to consider a possible compromise brokered by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that would reduce the cost to below $3 billion. That proposal includes building an above-ground station to save at least $330 million.

Participants in the LaHood talks say Virginia officials have informally suggested that the state would be willing to contribute an additional $150 million. But some some involved in the talks speculate McDonnell won’t commit on new funding until the board agrees to construct an above-ground station.

Phase 2 will run from Reston to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County. Its future has become precarious since MWAA decided the Dulles station should be built underground, adding $300 million to the costs.

To read the entire Washington Post story, click here.