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House budget demands competitive bid for rail
One small paragraph in a current version of the proposed state budget could force Virginia to effectively reset the floundering Dulles rail project.
An amendment to the proposed House of Delegates 2008 budget, which passed the House Appropriations Committee Sunday, directs Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer to "resolicit competitive proposals" for the rail project.
According to amendment author Del. Joe May (R-Loudoun), reworking the stalled project would get it moving again.
"What I was trying to do here was just get us started again. ... We seem to have bogged down; we're just exchanging letters," May said.
At the end of last month, Federal Transit Administration head James Simpson said it was unlikely his department would provide $900 million in federal funding to the current incarnation of the project in a letter. One week later, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) responded to the FTA's objections in a letter of his own. Kaine's response involved basically no changes to the project design that the FTA had just rejected, which May says is part of the problem.
"It's my belief that we are going to have to change our approach. ... I'm trying to get the state to respond to the FTA objections," May said.
Homer and other sources close to the process say that the state is working with the FTA to come up with a solution without rebidding the project.
"There's a good bit of dialog with the FTA going on right now," Homer said.
However, May and supporters of his amendment paint a more pessimistic picture.
"It couldn't be in more danger than it is right now. ... The governor and VDOT keep on submitting the same proposal and FTA keeps sending the same rejections," said Del. Dave Albo (R-Springfield), who supports May's amendment.
The full House will vote on its version of the state budget on Thursday, and May's amendment is expected to be approved. Its longterm fate is unknown however.
"It's unlikely to be approved in the Senate," said Homer, who believes the amendment's language may not be viable.
"It's a direction to me for a contract that isn't mine. ... It's between Dulles Transit Partners and [the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]," Homer said. "There's also an existing contract already in place. .... We can't go back and unilaterally rewrite a contract."
May says he realizes the amendment may have to be tweaked.
"I'm on the secretary's side and the governor's side ... but that way wasn't successful, so let's try a different strategy," May said.
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