Business Case for Dulles Rail

In all the discussion about the fate of the Metrorail extension to Tysons Corner and Dulles International Airport, isn't it time to focus on common sense?

Much has been said and analyzed since the Federal Transit Administration announced its reluctance to continue as a funding partner in the 40-year effort to bring rail to Tysons and Dulles. But let's ignore all that noise for a moment and concentrate on the basics. The rail extension is needed now, and there is a strong regional business case to support it.

Tysons Corner is often called the economic engine of Fairfax County. More than 600,000 people work in Fairfax and another 400,000 jobs are coming by 2030. The folks who fill these jobs -- today and tomorrow -- will need to get around in something other than a car. Roads are already so clogged that they've become a damper on future growth, as commuters lose countless hours in traffic and companies think carefully before locating in such a congested area.

Just as Metrorail moves workers into downtown Washington, we need that mass transit option in the Dulles corridor. If this project can't move forward, the real losers will be people across the region who will eventually need access to jobs in this fast-growing employment center. And the broader regional economy will suffer.

Dulles International Airport, a model of architectural excellence and planning, is another big reason we need this rail extension. Nearly 25 million passengers arrive at the airport every year, and that number is expected to climb to more than 50 million in the future. Will all of these travelers be forced into cabs? How big will the parking garages need to be? And what about getting airport workers to their jobs? The employee count at Dulles will soon rival that of the Pentagon. Roads won't be enough to absorb them all.

To serve those additional passengers, the airport's concourse has been expanded, the AeroTrain opening next year will make it easier to reach gates from the main terminal and new runways are planned for the future. Yet sadly, Dulles remains inaccessible by rail, despite good planning a generation ago that left a right of way down the middle of the access road.

Yes, extending Metro through Tysons and to Dulles will be expensive, but doesn't common sense tell us that if we delay it will only become more so? The price of everything is rising -- groceries, gasoline, even the newspaper you are reading now. And construction costs, including labor and materials, seem to rise even faster than most items. So why wait?

Each of us who runs a business has a business plan. Our plans call for investment in the future. We know that to grow our business, we have to make smart investments in the resources that allow us to grow and remain competitive.

Tysons Corner and the Dulles corridor are full of businesses waiting for construction of this project before making further investments in their companies. These same businesses have stepped up to the plate for this project by paying tolls and taxes to support the investment in rail. The private sector has committed $400 million towards the Dulles Rail project.

We expect our national government to make similar investments for our common good. The Federal Transit Administration states as its mission: "We provide leadership, technical assistance and financial resources for safe, technologically advanced public transportation which enhances all citizens' mobility and accessibility, improves America's communities and natural environment, and strengthens the national economy. We carry out this mission in cooperation with our partners now and into the future."

This project meets every element of the FTA mission statement. We are only asking the federal government to invest 20 percent of the total cost of this project, unlike so many projects where it has contributed 50, 60 or 80 percent. The agency has previously signaled its support for this project and should help make it a reality now.

A survey taken in October found that more than 93 percent of Northern Virginia residents back the project. Since the FTA's decision, there has been an outpouring of support for the Metrorail extension. Even the few lonely critics do not dispute the need. And why?

Because building rail to Tysons Corner and out to Dulles International Airport is the right thing to do. The need is great. The business case is there. The means are within reach. The time is right. Let's do what common sense dictates: build it now.

Gary Nakamoto is chief executive of Base Technologies, a McLean-based provider of information technology services.