BOS Broad Run: Candidates Answers on Metro

I have answers from all three candidates for the Board of Supervisors Sterling seat so I'm posting them here for your convenience:

Cliff Keirce (I)

Thanks for the question.

I have not put anything about this on the website as I was of the understanding that the issue would be resolved prior to the next Board of Supervisors being seated. However, I'm happy to share with you my opinion on the issue. I have attended several meetings about the Dulles Rail project over the years, as an interested citizen, Planning Commissioner, and as a Board of Supervisor candidate.

I think the Dulles rail into Loudoun is critical for the future of the county's economic health. Many large projects (Moorefield Station, Loudoun Station) were approved years ago, but will not reach their full development plans without the rail. I have also seen several projects as Planning Commissioner that will depend heavily on the Metro extension (Dulles World, Kincora, Dulles Town Center) and there are others in the planning stages (Loudoun Center/Loudoun Metro). Without the commercial tax dollars these projects will bring to the county, our dependence on residential property taxes to pay the bills will only worsen.

All that being said, the project needs to be completed at a reasonable cost. I was one of the few who sounded the alarm when the extension of the Metro Rail to Loudoun County was handed over to MWAA to complete. This also gave them control over the Rte 267 Toll Road. One would have thought with the Greenway problems the state would have learned it's lesson in letting an unelected body have control over large scale road/transportation projects.

There are significant proposed cost overruns to complete this project. One of the biggest issues was whether the airport station should be above or below ground. I am glad to see MWAA has agreed to help bring costs back to the original estimate, by building the the station above ground. I know that MWAA had always planned for an underground station, but it never should have been considered  if it was going to be a billion dollars over budget. They have also neglected to look at all the benefits to an above ground station.

Other cost saving measures that can be accomplished are privatizing the parking garages instead of having to pay to build them and hand them over to the Metro Authority to collect the revenues, and phasing the rail yard construction.

Additional contributions from the federal government and the state should also be pursued.

Those have been my positions for a while now. I am glad to see there were some recent changes agreed to a few weeks ago. MWAA has agreed to an above ground station. I believe Virginia has agreed to add an additional $150 million to the cost of the project. There is some movement looking at privatizing the parking garages.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss this further or if I haven't answered your question to your satisfaction.

Cliff Keirce

Andrea McGimsey (D)

"Andrea is leading the effort to complete road improvements and create more transportation options that will reduce traffic. She is fighting to ensure the Metro is extended into Loudoun and to increase the number of bus routes."

Shawn Williams (R)

I believe bringing metrorail to Loudoun is essential to take our county to the 'next level.' We need to attract businesses to defer our high residential tax base and metrorail will be a key component to this process. However, the project must be completed in a fiscally responsible manner. I was very pleased the the underground station at Dulles airport was scrapped in favor of the less expensive above ground station. Chairman York, who I look forward to continuing to work with on this issue, deserves credit for delivering real cost savings to Loudoun taxpayers. The project must continue with specific budgetary performance goals because if the costs spiral out of control the project is in danger of getting canceled.