Hall speaks out on Tysons Rail: Time for the "Nuclear Option"?

By: charlie hall
Published On: 5/30/2007 4:36:27 PM

To the RK Community. I am just now issuing this press release on Tysons rail. This is a position which I have pushed since late last year. I'm very heartened to see that key rail supporters like the Sierra Club are catching up with others in the community.

As a candidate pushing for open, sound government, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Charlie
Text of the Release

Release: Immediate
Contact: Charlie Hall (703-615-7642)

Hall Urges Supervisors to Abandon "Timid, Dishonest Approach" to Tysons Rail
Providence Candidate Renews Call for "Nuclear Option" to Halt Elevated Train

Supervisor candidate Charlie Hall,  citing "an almost total collapse of public confidence in the county's management of Tysons rail," said yesterday  it would be "almost scandalous" if the Board of Supervisors proceeds with plans to financially support the fatally flawed elevated rail project.

Hall, who is running in the Providence District against incumbent Linda Smyth, also accused Fairfax supervisors of "taking a timid, dishonest approach, claiming they are for the Tysons tunnel, while secretly paving the way for an elevated train that almost nobody wants."

Hall noted new reports that the estimated cost of rail to Dulles now exceeds $5 billion, (Link:http://www.zwire.com... with no limit in sight. He also cited a call yesterday by the Sierra Club to abandon the elevated train option through Tysons. (Link: http://www.raisingka...)

Hall has been an early and leading opponent of the elevated option. In March, the Providence District Council, which he chairs, became the first major Fairfax County group to oppose an elevated train, even if funding for the tunnel can't be obtained. In a recent debate with incumbent Linda Smyth, he called the elevated train a "disaster" that "could destroy Tysons forever."

"The mismanagement of this project has been staggering. That's reflected in new reports of runaway costs and the announcement by the Sierra Club that the elevated train should not move forward," Hall said. "It's time to end the board's secrecy and honor the clear public  will, which supports a tunnel but vehemently opposes an elevated train."

Hall called on the Board of Supervisors to openly consider the "nuclear option," in which the county would refuse to pay its share of funding for an elevated train, effectively killing that alternative, while continuing to pursue a tunnel and other options.

Hall also said the county must hold a full public hearing before voting to participate in any agreement to build rail through Dulles.

  He noted that TysonsTunnel.org asked for such a hearing in a May 4 letter, but that none of the county supervisors had acted on the request as of Monday.  "It would be unconscionable if the board ratified a blank check without letting citizens express their concerns and anger."

He added that it was "hypocritical" of the Smyth and other supervisors to publicly claim they support TysonsTunnel.org, while ignoring the organizatin's  request for a public hearing.

"The separation between the board and the general community can't be overstated," Hall said. "Linda Smyth and Gerry Connolly have said they `favor' a tunnel, but as Gov. Kaine told WTOP recently, the board has continued through its actions to promote an elevated train." (Link: http://www.raisingka...)

"Truly, the only people still willing to accept an elevated train through Tysons are a few landowners and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors," Hall said. "It's time for the public to say `enough' to the board's weak, vacillating approach and say no once and for all to the disastrous elevated train plan."

Comments



Time For Some FOIAs...... (Deborah Reyher - 5/30/2007 10:23:39 PM)
Now that this information is out, the County should not be able to resist a FOIA asking what the County knew about this obscene cost increase and when, and when they talked about it and with whom..... and what was said by each of the Supervisors.

It may be hard to pry this information out of the County before 6/12, but the rest of the Supervisors go on the chopping block in the Fall.  Citizens should know just how badly they've been snookered before they vote.

Thanks, Charlie, for having the guts to do what no one else has so far -- all that our state and local officials seem to be able to do is wring their hands while simultaneously throwing good money after bad..... quite an act!



Hall speaks out on Tysons Rail (voter4change - 5/31/2007 9:35:44 AM)
Charlie Hall gets it.  The good citizens of Fairfax County will be paying forever to fund this rail project that now have costs topping 5.1 billion dollars and counting.  There is no disagreement that rail is needed to Dulles.  However, why should we be asked to fund a project that is not good for Tysons Corner.  We can't have it both ways...placing high density neighborhoods at transit stations and placing an aerial track that will totally destroy any sense of a walkable community.  I don't think citizens should be expected to embrace and fund a system that "just smells bad" because our supervisors "can't say no." 

It makes no sense for us to pony up hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and tolls just because our county BOS "won't say no to the aerial."