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Context
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced on June 23, 2014 that the first phase of Metro’s Silver Line to provide service to Dulles International Airport would be ready to open by the end of July 2014. It was the culmination of a long and drawn-out process to build a metro rail link in Northern Virginia. One of the most controversial parts of the project occurred in the Tysons Corner area. Engineers and government officials had to decide whether to build a tunnel or an elevated track and if the stations would be above or below ground.
The decision to have and elevated track system or a tunnel was an ongoing issue for Governor Tim Kaine's administration in 2006. The day before the signing of the Virginia/MWAA agreement, Dulles Transit Partners, the design-build contractor for phase one, rejected a plan that would have run the Silver Line tracks through a tunnel in Tysons Corner. The contractors estimated that the tunnel approach would cost over $500 million more than a mostly aboveground route. Tunnel supporters argued that the tunnel construction would be less disruptive and in the long run help turn Tysons Corner into a pedestrian-friendly urban downtown area.
After meeting with the Federal Transit Agency (FTA) and Northern Virginia’s congressional delegation on September 6, 2006, Governor Kaine reluctantly announced that the tunnel option would not be advanced. The change from an aerial railway track to a tunnel plan would delay the project and put $900 million federal government financing, and the project itself, in jeopardy. “The good news is that this critical project is moving ahead with the unanimous bi-partisan support of the congressional delegation and our local partners,” Governor Kaine said following the meeting. “We carefully reviewed the tunnel option at Tysons, and I share the belief of many of our project partners that a tunnel alignment would be the best option. However, too many unanswered questions remain about the cost and timing. These uncertainties cannot be allowed to jeopardize this critical project.”
Citation: Is the plan working?, 2006-09-06 11:36, Leighty.pst, Email Records from the Office of the Governor (Kaine: 2006-2010), Library of Virginia (page one of two)
The decision to have and elevated track system or a tunnel was an ongoing issue for Governor Tim Kaine's administration in 2006. The day before the signing of the Virginia/MWAA agreement, Dulles Transit Partners, the design-build contractor for phase one, rejected a plan that would have run the Silver Line tracks through a tunnel in Tysons Corner. The contractors estimated that the tunnel approach would cost over $500 million more than a mostly aboveground route. Tunnel supporters argued that the tunnel construction would be less disruptive and in the long run help turn Tysons Corner into a pedestrian-friendly urban downtown area.
After meeting with the Federal Transit Agency (FTA) and Northern Virginia’s congressional delegation on September 6, 2006, Governor Kaine reluctantly announced that the tunnel option would not be advanced. The change from an aerial railway track to a tunnel plan would delay the project and put $900 million federal government financing, and the project itself, in jeopardy. “The good news is that this critical project is moving ahead with the unanimous bi-partisan support of the congressional delegation and our local partners,” Governor Kaine said following the meeting. “We carefully reviewed the tunnel option at Tysons, and I share the belief of many of our project partners that a tunnel alignment would be the best option. However, too many unanswered questions remain about the cost and timing. These uncertainties cannot be allowed to jeopardize this critical project.”
Citation: Is the plan working?, 2006-09-06 11:36, Leighty.pst, Email Records from the Office of the Governor (Kaine: 2006-2010), Library of Virginia (page one of two)
Standards
VS.I, VS.9, USII.1, USII.8, USII.9, VUS.1, VUS.15
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Scan it: Scan the document. What type of document it is? Why would this type of email be saved for future use?
Post Activities
Political Plans: You a member of an opposition group, how would you approach the issues? What would you do to convince people to take your side?
Up for Debate: Do you think that the additional $500 million dollars should have been spent to ensure this tunnel's completion? Why or why not?
Scan it: Scan the document. What type of document it is? Why would this type of email be saved for future use?
Post Activities
Political Plans: You a member of an opposition group, how would you approach the issues? What would you do to convince people to take your side?
Up for Debate: Do you think that the additional $500 million dollars should have been spent to ensure this tunnel's completion? Why or why not?