A Debate Over What Revived Dulles Rail

U.S. Cites Changes; Others See Politics

U.S transportation officials say they reversed their position last week on the proposed extension of Metrorail to Dulles International Airport because Virginia officials and the people overseeing the project made significant enough changes to make it viable.

But many others close to the proceedings say the project actually changed very little.

These political and business leaders credit the Federal Transit Administration for a willingness to revisit the details of Dulles rail, but they also believe that intense political pressure from Congress, the business community and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) forced the agency to renegotiate.

"It wouldn't have gotten kicked upstairs," said William D. Lecos, president of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. "All of a sudden there was a tidal wave of, 'Hey, what are you doing?' It went up to [U.S. Transportation Secretary] Mary Peters's level. That bought us time."

Federal officials, led by transit administration chief James S. Simpson, said last week that politics did not enter into their deliberations in the three months since late January, when he and Peters declared the rail project unqualified for federal funding. Simpson said Virginia and the agency responsible for overseeing the proposal, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority , worked diligently during that time to answer the FTA's questions, address its concerns and improve the project.

As an example, Simpson cited the FTA's demand to set aside a $200 million reserve in case the $5 billion project's cost creeps up. Other examples in clude more than $200 million in project cuts, agreement from the airports authority to hire more staff to manage the project, a new willingness to avoid too much borrowing of federal transportation funds, and new documentation that the Dulles Toll Road will bring in sufficient receipts to help pay construction costs.

"It's not the same project," Simpson said. "It's really improved. We have a program here that's pass or fail. They're passing on everything now."

Some rail boosters said the last three months have forced the airports authority and Virginia to improve the project.

"They made them dot all the i's and cross all the t's," said Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), whose district encompasses much of the new route. "It may well be a better project. A tighter project. Everything has been looked at."

Others, however, say several of the conditions had already been met or could have been met easily. Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr., for example, will propose next week that the agency defer projects in the agency's current capital improvement program and use the money for the more urgent repairs identified by the FTA.

Metro was planning the shift anyway, several officials said.

Similarly, the FTA's requirement that project sponsors borrow less through the federal government will require more expensive borrowing, analysts said.