I just received this from TysonsTunnel.org president Scott Monett.
It's a sad day for the Commonwealth of Virginia, for Smart Growth and for transit advocates everywhere. While the rest of the world is tearing down elevated structures everywhere and replacing them with tunnels, the Governor is claiming victory for using 30 year old technology in one of the most vibrant economic districts of the country while agreeing to overpay for it.
The new Obama administration is supposedly trying to fix the mistakes made during the Bush Administration while the new chair of the DNC is proclaiming victory thanks to the Bush Administration, Senator Warner and Congressman Tom Davis (all republicans and all no longer there). They were so kind to help him put a stake (or a bridge anyway) in the heart of our largest urban business district in Virginia. The current delegation of Congressman Wolf, Moran and Connelly have been just as complicit. The new Senators have been keen enough to be absent from the debate for good reason. They can rightly claim that they had nothing to do with it.
This is not the time for a victory celebration but a time to reflect on how the Commonwealth and our transportation policy can get it so wrong. This implementation of rail will cause more negative energy towards transit and will be highlighted as the model of how to do it wrong. The cost overruns and open spigot the sole-source contract has masterfully created provides for an economic boon for the few while disrupting the lives of so many while billing the toll road users and the taxpayers for this spectacular and irresponsible use of public money. Mr.Kaine and the delegation should be focusing on fixing the project now that we have the money to include a tunnel, not reading the script that so well suits the contractors building this amateurish and short-sighted above-ground design.
