by Stephen Green
Saturday, September 16, 1972
The Senate Commerce Commlttee yesterday approved a bill that would authorize expenditure of $10 million for preliminary construction work to extend the Metro rapid transit system to Dulles International Airport.
The money, if appropriated, would go to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin work on running a transit line 16.7 miles to the airport from proposed Rte. I-66 in West Falls Church at Greenwich Street.
From there the line would run through Pimmit Hills and cross Dolley Madison Boulevard to the Dulles access road at the Capital Beltway. It would run along the median strip of the access road to the airport.
Sen. Wllllam B. Spong (D. Va.), who introduced the bill, said the transit extension "is critically needed. Without it, Dulles will continue to be underutilized and the federal government will continue to spend milIions in subsidizing its operation.”
Jackson Graham, general manager of the transit authority now building the Metro subway system, said the money would be used "to conduct surveys, take soil borings, prepare general plans… contract plans and specifications.”
The transit authority board of directors has not officially approved building an airport extension. But an authority spokesman said the action would be taken when the Spong bill becomes law.
A similar bill has been introduced in the House by Rep. Joel T. Broyhill (R-Va.) but has not been acted on yet.
The estimated total cost of building the transit extension to the airport is $90 million.
“The cost of the Dulles line and all equipment would be borne by the U.S. Department of Transportation but locaI jurisdictions would have to share in financing construction of commuter stations," Spong said.
A 1971 study proposed that stations be built at Reston and at the intersection of the Dulles access road and Rte. 7.
During hearings on the measure in June, the Nixon administration opposed the bill, arguing that an experimental tracked air cushion vehicle should be tested first.
However, Virginia government officials pressed for the bill's approval.
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