Health & Fitness
A $53 million discrepancy in Dulles Rail: If they did this, what else did they do?
This is no joke - either the US Department of Transportation or Fairfax County managed to give us conveniently incorrect figures on the cost of the Dulles Rail Phase II Rt 28 station.
Another major discrepancy has appeared in the Dulles Rail costing figures.
News source after news source is reporting that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors was told that the cost of the Rt 28 rail station would be $83 million dollars. But my recollection was that it was listed as a $136 million 'saving' by the US DOT in their July 3, 2011 white paper report.
So I took a look, and indeed this $53 million discrepancy exists. On Fairfax County's own website I found this resolution, claiming the station cost to be $83 million and the parking garage cost to be $53.5 million.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board/bdagenda/2011/7-26action9.pdf
"Board Agenda Item
July 26, 2011
ACTION – 9
...
- Fairfax County to fund the cost of the Route 28 Station, currently estimated to
be $83 million
- Fairfax County to fund the cost of the Route 28 Station parking garage,
currently estimated to be $53.5 million
...
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost for the Route 28 Station is estimated at $83 million, the Route 28 Station
garage at $53.5 million ..."
Now compare this to the US DOT white paper report of July 3, 2011.
Find out what's happening in Herndonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/59541422/White-Paper-Dulles-Rail-Phase-2-Cost-...
"White Paper Regarding Secretary LaHood's Proposed Scope Reductions
Date: July 3, 2011
...
4: Transfer Responsibility for Route 28 Station to Fairfax County: -$136M
5: Transfer Responsibility for 5 parking facilities to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties: -$235M
...
Garage Location : # Spaces : Estimated Cost
Herndon-Monroe Station : 1949 : $51.4M
Route 28 Station : 2027 : $53.5M
Route 606 Station : 1965 : $51.9M
Route 772 Station (North) : 1434 : $37.8M
Route 772 Station (South) : 1540 : $40.6M
Total Savings : 8915 : $235.3M"
Clearly, there is a $53 million financial discrepancy in the Rt 28 station cost figures. In the US DOT white paper report from US DOT, the price for the Rt 28 station is listed as $136 million and shown as a $136 million 'saving' in its item 4, and the price for the associated parking facility at the Rt 28 station is listed as $53.5 million, and is included in the $235 million saving in item 5.
Somebody has either subtracted the $53.5 million from the $136 million to falsely give the Fairfax Board of Supervisors a smaller $83 million dollar number, or somebody added the $83 million and the $53.5 million numbers to falsely give the US DOT and MWAA an inflated $136 million 'saving' figure. Either way, somebody has some explaining to do!
Why is it that I am the only one who noticed this? Where are the anti-tax people? Where is the media? Where are the accountants in government?
In my opinion, this is another example of numbers that just don't add up in this boondoggle ripoff known as Dulles Rail. And the errors just happen to be convenient, showing either higher savings for MWAA, or a lower cost for Fairfax County. How about that.
If they did this here, what else did they do? Dulles Rail has been a parade of lies since it went political in 2002. Stop the madness, and send US DOT and MWAA back to the drawing board!