Congressman Frank Wolf Fails to Solve Critical Transportation Problem...Again!

What a surprise!  The Dulles Rail Project is now effectively derailed before it started, and we're back to square one. In my opinion, although a solution is desperately needed, this project was another “Big Dig” in the making.  Painful as it is, the FTA has probably done us a favor. 

This project has been shepherded by our Republican-dominated congressional delegation led by Frank Wolf, who sits on the transportation subcommittee and touts transportation as his signature issue.  With an opportunity to help resolve the 10th District’s transportation nightmare, Mr. Wolf has failed again.

The Dulles Rail Project was a sole-source sweetheart deal with Bechtel, which should come as no surprise to those tracking the donor payback behaviors of the Republicans in Congress. Mr. Wolf is one of the least fiscally responsible members of Congress, voting with the White House on bills that contributed to our record deficit and debt 85% of the time.  True to form, his deal with Bechtel was a massive cost overrun waiting to happen.

Frank Wolf claims he has worked tirelessly on transportation issues – yet here we are in 2008 unable to get any form of mass transit out to one of our major airports -- 27 years after Frank Wolf was first elected to Congress. A careful review of Mr. Wolf’s career leads one to conclude he is not capable of envisioning and implementing any major project at the federal level. 

The demise of the Dulles rail project is a serious setback for the people of Northern Virginia.  Governor Kaine strived mightily to comply with what many perceived as the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) moving target requirements.  Based on a review of the actual letter from the FTA, it is clear that the Republican congressional delegation from Northern Virginia—led by Frank Wolf—has consistently miscommunicated the FTA’s requirements to the Governor leading to continuous confusion and thousands of wasted hours of effort. 

The silver lining is that now we have an opportunity to reexamine the entire problem of connecting an international urban center to a major international airport.  This should be done efficiently in a cooperative and comprehensive way as part of an overall D.C. metro area strategic transportation plan. This review must include representatives from Maryland, Washington, D.C, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

For starters, I would like to propose some essential characteristics of the solution:

It should entice people to use it because it is efficient, inexpensive, and convenient.  That’s the only way to get people out of their cars, which is a top priority.

It should be “green” so it is part of the Climate Change solution. We have to transport more people on mass transit systems that are carbon neutral.  This is a golden opportunity to design and deploy a state-of-the-art bus rapid transit system or a light rail system.

It should be one part of a major effort to re-think transportation throughout the entire D.C. metro area and relieve the congestion that hampers our quality of life.

If we want to truly solve the problem of connecting the D.C. metro area to Dulles Airport, we need new leadership in the 10th Congressional District.  Mr. Wolf has been given a 28-year apprenticeship and the lack of results speaks volumes.

We all know about the growing transportation problems because we experience them every day. I will talk more about the solutions to these critical transportation problems in the months ahead.

In the upcoming elections, you will finally have a chance to vote for a Congressman who can get the job done. Learn more about my background and leadership track record on www.MikeTurnerForCongress.com.

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