Suit Against Dulles Rail Project Withdrawn

By Bill Turque

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The group calling for a planned construction of the Dulles Metrorail extension to be re-opened for a more competitive bidding process has withdrawn a federal lawsuit seeking to block the project.

Scott Monett, president of TysonsTunnel.org, a coalition of businesses and McLean-area residents, said today that the suit against the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is no longer necessary because his group believes that the agency recognizes the need to fundamentally reconsider the project. The coalition has pushed for a redesign of the 23-mile extension that would move the Tysons segment underground. Current plans call for an elevated track through the area.

In January, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and FTA chief James S. Simpson announced that the federal government could not provide $900 million in funding without drastic changes to the project. They said their concerns included the project's rapidly escalating cost -- now placed at $5 billion -- the ability of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to manage the construction, and the ability of Metro to integrate the extension into a system plagued by underfunding and a backlog of needed repairs.

"It seems like FTA has made the case back to Virginia that there are a number of concerns that need to be addressed," Monett said. "And we believe many of our concerns are addressed in what was mentioned."

There were other practical considerations behind the withdrawal of the suit, filed three months ago in federal district court in Alexandria. WestGroup, a major Tysons landowner and a key backer of the tunnel, stopped providing financial support to TysonsTunnel.org late last year. Monett has had to pursue other funding to underwrite legal expenses.

"It was decision based on a number of factors," he said. "It seemed like FTA was doing the right thing anyway. Why spend the dollars on a legal strategy that at this point might not be necessary?"

State and federal officials are continuing to negotiate over the future of the project.

Tagged: Dulles Airport, metro extension

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