Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
Snowmageddon total for Vienna, Va. 21.5 inches - William World News
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Snowmageddon total for Vienna, Va. 21.5 inches
VIENNA, Va. -- Our Vienna Bureau Chief (aka WHY or Dad) sent in this photo from his backyard (table top I believe). 21.5 inches is the official total over there. In Alexandria it was 20.5, so they win the snow challenge I guess.
I just dug out one of our cars. That was exciting. I will be shocked if the federal government is open tomorrow.
The latest snowstorm to hit BeltwayLand happened (for the most part) while I was in the Poconos skiing with my wife. We were at Camelback and it is pretty much the same as it always is except that my favorite slope, the Nile Mile has been changed to a blue square from a double green circle. That makes a lot of sense to me, the slope is not too hard, but is not easy either. I love attacking that hill, it take me about five minutes to get down when I really push myself.
Oh and we finally hit Yocco's for their hot dogs on the return trip. I'll have a review of that over the next two days.
On the way back, we hit snow at about the Mid-County interchange of the Northeast Extension (I-476) and yet saw no snow removal equipment. As we got onto I-95 the conditions were quite slushy, until we hit Maryland. Let me praise the Maryland Transportation Authority for the superior job they did on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway section of I-95 -- the conditions were exceptional given the weather. We could comfortably go over 50 m.p.h. DelDot and PennDot, you blew it. The former I expected, despite numerous boasts about Pennsylvania's snow-readiness by expatriates when compared to BeltwayLand, to do much better. For shame PennDot, for shame. Delaware, most I-95 is a toll road in your state, so you don't have any excuses either.
Back in Northern Virginia, I did not get a chance to measure the snow. Sorry internet, I know how much you like photos of rulers in snow. I did take my son sledding at my folks house in Vienna though. That was pretty sweet. Grandee got to pull her grandson around the block in a little red sled too.
It looks like we're in for more snow later this week (Capital Weather Gang), so I'll be better about the ruler everybody.
Funny thing, I just mentioned this to my co-workers as I was typing and one of them goes "oh my sister was talking about that on channel 9." It turns out her sister is chatting about it right now on The Post's website.
Vienna Inn's semicentennial nears - William World News
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Vienna Inn's semicentennial nears
Vienna Inn prepares to turn 50 - The Fairfax Times The beloved Vienna Inn is approaching 50 years in business. This is just a fairly standard article about the history of my hometown bar, but I quibble with this statement:
The walls, saturated with the smell and color of smoke...
Hardly -- at least compared to what it used to be. When Mike and Mollie Abraham still owned it, the ceiling was really dirty from all of the smoke. Now, it is nothing like that -- I suspect when it changed hands the health inspector said something along the lines of "we were letting Mike slide a little, but you are bringing this joint up to code!"
Also, some specifics to something I've been saying for years -- they used to sell more Budweiser than anybody:
"In 1979, when the drinking age in Virginia was still 18, the Vienna Inn sold more Budweiser beer that year than any other bar or sports stadium in the United States, except Yankee Stadium — over 10,000 kegs..."
This is why the Clydesdales used to show up in the Vienna Halloween Parade every year. Apparently, they don't just show up for everyone.
No Safeway I would not like to make a donation to breast cancer - William World News
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
No Safeway I would not like to make a donation to breast cancer
FRANCONIA, Va. -- Every time I go to Safeway, I'm asked if I want to make a donation to breast cancer. What are they doing donating to breast cancer? It sucks and doesn't need any help!
Oh, this is supposed to be an anti-breast cancer donation -- why didn't you say so?!
The primary advantage seen in making this change would be the new city taking over the roads from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In doing so, they would also be given new taxing powers to fund those roads. On the one hand, more local control of roads is appealing, on the other hand it would mean more taxes and don't think for a second that there will be less state taxes to offset the new city taxes.
If you remove the taxation angle, this is really a fun semantic argument. The 400+ square miles of Fairfax County, home to over 1 million people, include subdivisions, a few large clusters of office space, parks, fading "horse country," expansive riverfront parks and just a few actual traditional towns.Changing the jurisdiction from county to city would not mean the whole county would suddenly becoming more urban, despite what may be feared. The suburban sprawl that so many find preferable to a more urban setting is here for the duration whether the municipality is called a county, city or prefecture. There are efforts to transform some areas, like Tysons Corner, into something more urban with mass transit and less automotive-related development, but that is just a small area. Cul-de-sac culture will prevail overall.
My take -- just leave it as it is. The road issues are problematic of course, but I really don't think adding more taxes will fix much since the Commonwealth would probably cut back so much on funding that the county could not make up for that loss. Ultimately, we are at least a generation away from this becoming an viable option any way with all the legal and legislative hoops that need to be jumped through. Fairfax County shall remain. I could see Arlington becoming a city, since it essentially is in everything but name, but I believe there are too many hoops for it to jump through, so it will probably remain a county too.
MORE
Everything's Fine in Fairfax (City) - The Post Residents of the city of Fairfax, the incorporated county seat, like the way things are just fine, thank you.
The group, TysonsTunnel.org, has been pushing for an underground route through the area. It is teaming up with the environmental group, Sierra Club, to file the suit.
A national watchdog group is expected to join the suit.
Scott A. Monett, president of TysonsTunnel and the vice chair of the Sierra Club's Great Falls group, won't name the watchdog group, but does say it's a "good governance group."
Again, too little too late. While I would have preferred an underground Metro line through Tysons Corner for long term cost and aesthetic concerns, I can live with an above ground one. The mobilization for making sure the Silver Line was a tunnel came years too late. This suit, if it does not get thrown out, will just add years to the construction and millions to the cost.
Silver Spring seems to do just fine with the Red Line elevated through it, so I think Tysons will too. Crystal City gets by with having an airport and at-grade railroad adjacent to it as well and nobody seems to mind.
"To do it right, we ought to start it at the King Street station, go all the way up King Street through Alexandria, go through Bailey's Crossroads, pick up the light rail passengers at Columbia Pike so that you would tie into the light rail system that Arlington County is proposing, and then extend this system through Bailey's, through Seven Corners and connect it to the Metro system at Tysons Corner.
Sure, why not? I have a feeling this won't go anywhere, but if it had its own right-of-way like Moran wants, it would work. The thing is where is the money and oh yeah, some folks in Alexandria might not want it encroaching on their property along King Street.
Will Harris Teeter open a store in Seven Corner or Silver Springs too? - William World News
Friday, March 20, 2009
Will Harris Teeter open a store in Seven Corner or Silver Springs too?
TYSON'S CORNER, Va. -- The Harris Teeter in my work neighborhood doesn't quite know where they are located. I suppose this is just another argument for creating the Tysons, Va. mailing address.
How the Silver Line Metro is going to be built - William World News
Monday, March 16, 2009
How the Silver Line Metro is going to be built
Metrorail Heading In a New Direction - The Post Details of what the Silver Line construction through Tysons Corner is going to be like over the next several years. It won't be much fun, but the payoff is huge.
...the real action will start in a matter of days about 15 miles to the west, where demolition of roads and bridges and heavy construction of overhead piers will become an unwelcome fact of life during the next six years for commuters and residents of McLean, Tysons Corner, Vienna and beyond. The result, boosters say, will be worth it: a public transit system serving the region's primary international airport and Virginia's most prosperous jobs corridor.
Today's ceremony at the Transportation Department's headquarters near the Washington Navy Yard featured a roster of local, state and federal luminaries seeking to revel in -- and take credit for -- the project's success. Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and former senator John Warner (R-Va.) were among those attending.
Emphasis added by me. This is long overdue and much needed. The next few years in Tysons may not be fun to commute to and from but it is not like it is right now.
The second phase of the project from Whiele Ave. to Ashburn still has some hurdles to clear.
Project Web site: Dulles Metrorail Project I like the headline and the tone of this blog post which includes the backstory of the last year -- make sure you read it.
The I-66 project would connect a series of acceleration and deceleration lanes, effectively widening the westbound road from two to three lanes between Fairfax Drive and Sycamore Street and expanding it between Washington Boulevard and the Dulles Airport Access Road from three lanes to four.
That is exactly what I suggested they do four years ago, but it was voted down by Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's Transportation Planning Board. Not surprisingly, Arlington members voted against it, but "the swing votes during Wednesday's meeting turned out to be Fairfax County's. Both of Fairfax's representatives on the panel, county supervisors Catherine M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) and Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence)." I do not understand why they cast the votes they did.
Arlington is rightfully proud of developing a well-zoned, pedestrian and transit oriented community that sets a standard for new urbanism. I loved living in Arlington for this reason. I do not believe I am alone in that situation. The "Arlington vs. the other suburbs" attitude has got to go -- a lot of us would live in Arlington if it were more affordable.
I would have benefited from this widening as a pro-transit Arlington resident who "reverse commuted" by car from Pentagon City to Tysons everyday for five years. What makes this widening so desirable was that it would not need to remove any houses and would not detract from the transit. I could see the need to possibly detour a few sections of the Custis Trail, but it would not be significant. This would be a sensible project and I hope it is resurrected.
Are Fajita Wars the new Cola Wars? - William World News
Monday, February 23, 2009
Are Fajita Wars the new Cola Wars?
TYSON'S CORNER, Va. -- On a recent excusion to one of Tysons Corner's casual dining restaurants, On the Border, I learned that it is home to the FAJITA REVOLUTION. Apparently, they are revolutionizing the way I enjoy fajitas. I disagree as I had brisket tacos instead. That is not the point though, apparently fajitas are much more serious than I could have possibly imagined. You may recall that On the Border's neighbor, Chili's, told me I could control my own Fajita Destiny. Are fajitas the next conflict in foodstuff marketing, like the Cola Wars* of the late 1980s?
I wonder how much further marketers will take this trend. Will be seeing things like Fajita Century, Generation Fajita, or Fajita Reich?
*My Advertising 320 professor told the class a couple of times, in muted tones, that he was a "veteran of the Cola Wars."
Strange for positing that question, especially since On the Border and Chili's are owned by the same company.
# posted by Muha :
Monday, February 23, 2009 2:23:00 PM
So, it is a civil war?
# posted by WFY :
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 8:18:00 AM
Post a CommentTysons gets a grocery store again - William World News
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tysons gets a grocery store again
TYSON'S CORNER, Va. -- When I was a kid there was a Giant Food in Tyson's Corner Center mall, but it closed over 20 years ago. Now, for the first time since they, the Tysons area has a grocery store. A new Harris Teeter opened on Park Run Drive near Westpark Drive. Tysons residents and workers no long have to drive to Vienna or McLean for groceries, a wonderful development.
Like all grocery stores in the DC area, clearly the new HT needs a nickname. Hubris Teeter? Anyone?
# posted by virtualredhead :
Friday, January 16, 2009 11:57:00 AM
We don't nickname grocery stores in the 'burbs since there is little difference between them. Why Hubris Teeter anyway?
# posted by WFY :
Saturday, January 17, 2009 4:34:00 PM
While I love the fact that the Corner now has its own grocery store, I'm shocked at the prices for Harris Teeter. "Manager, please. We need a price check". In comparison to the other suburban grocery stores McLean's Safeway and Giant; as well as Vienna's Safeway and Giant the prices in HT are about 20-30% more than the other stores mentioned. I understand they have the coupons in the flyer like, "save $10 on a $40 purchase", but what if I want to only pick up a couple things - like a pint of strawberries (which incidentally, cost my right arm)or milk (I thought I did buy the whole cow). So despite being overjoyed by not having to travel to down McLean or downtown Vienna to get some groceries, let's face it - the economy sucks and I can't afford to dish our the cash for the prices at HT. I really wanted to love this store. I hope things will change in the near future, especially with stores closing all over the Tyson's area. I honestly don't want to see HT become another victim of the bad economy.
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, February 02, 2009 9:41:00 PM
In the D.C. area, Harris Teeter fancies itself as a higher-end grocery store than Giant or Safeway. The sales are just as good (i.e. Pepsi 12 packs are $1.99 this week) but the everyday stuff does cost more.
The Alexandria location that I use regularly is quite efficient though, I don't know if that is true of the Tysons one yet, not a big enough sample size.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, February 04, 2009 11:22:00 AMPost a Comment
Silver Line gets final USDOT approval - William World News
After a series of regulatory setbacks in 2008, rail to Dulles was revived last month when the Federal Transit Administration discarded long-standing skepticism about the project's cost and management and sent it on to Peters for final action. Yesterday's news marks what state, local and congressional boosters said is the government's irreversible approval of the project.
All that remains for a sixty day comment period in Congress and then presumably the project is officially underway. Planned completion of the first phase of the line, between Whiele Ave. in Reston and West Falls Church is 2013. It will be thirty years too late, but better late than ever.
The chase, which began on Interstate 270 South in Maryland and continued onto the Outer Loop of the Beltway and into Virginia, ended shortly before 4 p.m.
Jones eventually left the Outer Loop of the Beltway at Exit 46 and drove toward the Tysons Corner area.
The 18-wheeler smashed into trees and stopped on a sidewalk at the intersection of Westpark Drive and Park Run Drive in Tysons Corner.
Tractor-Trailer Leads Police on Chase Along I-270 - The Post I looked out the window and saw "airwolf" flying low parallel to the Capital Beltway and later found out it was this chase. Surprisingly, this did nothing to increase my commute time on the way home, even though the chase ended mere minutes before I left.
The Federal Transit Administration approved the extension, which now heads to U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and the Office of Management and Budget for final sign-off. Approval from the FTA, where regulators had attacked the proposal as too expensive and poorly managed, is widely viewed as a critical moment for a project that local and state officials say is crucial to relieve traffic and spur economic growth at Tysons Corner and along the Dulles corridor.
Feds approve first phase of Dulles Rail project - WTOP This is great news for our region, this is a badly needed project. Hopefully Peters and OMB will sign off soon and the construction can really get going.
# posted by Paterno Lives! :
Thursday, December 04, 2008 9:51:00 AM
It will be elevated through Tysons Corner and in the median of the Dulles Toll/Access Road for the rest of the way, except at the airport I believe.
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, December 04, 2008 12:19:00 PM
Post a CommentFreddie Mac's pedestrian overpass - William World News
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Freddie Mac's pedestrian overpass
TYSON'S CORNER, Va. -- Is it just me or is the pedestrian overpass over Jones Branch Drive between Freddie Mac buildings not at all ostentatious? I figured I would mention it with Freddie being in the news so much this month.
TYSON'S CORNER, Va. -- A recent excusion to the Tyson's Chili's with co-workers revealed this unusual marketing campaign for fajitas.
I did not get the fajitas for three reasons:
Economical: When dining at Chili's, Friday's, Flingers, etc. I find the best way to handle the situation is order the least expensive tolerable food possible. Fajita's were something like $15 I think. I wound getting some sort of chicken fingers selection for something like $8. Think of it as damage control.
Gastronomical: I am not a big fan of fajitas and all those peppers don't work too well for me.
Semantic: I'm no Calvinist, but isn't destiny preordained? Fajita destiny is just a bit over the top, no?
Schrag on Silver Line reversal - William World News
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Schrag on Silver Line reversal
Recently, I reached out to George Mason University history professor Dr. Zachary Schrag for commentary on the Federal Transportation Administration's decision to continue funding the Dulles Corridor Metro line. He was kind enough to provide some commentary:
At this point, the history of the Silver Line has been marked by such tangles of planning, engineering, architecture, finance, and politics that it rivals in complexity the decision to build the original Metro system. I am not going to write a book on the subject, but I hope someone else takes up the challenge.
Schrag wrote The Great Society Subway about Metro. In it, he argued that building the Orange Line to Tysons in the first place might have made more sense.
Its resurrection is a triumph of common sense over dogma and suggests that, contrary to the general impression of the state of governance in Washington, rational outcomes remain possible when grown-ups put their heads together. More specifically, it is a testament to the wisdom and perseverance of officials at Metro, which would operate the 23-mile extension; the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which would manage its construction; Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), who spearheaded the lobbying with Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to reverse what had seemed like the feds' unequivocal rejection; and Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D).
Let us hope this cooperation continues on what may be a bumpy ride on the way to making this Metro line happen.
More details on Dulles Corridor Metro - William World News
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
More details on Dulles Corridor Metro
Dulles Rail Gets Federal Approval - The Post As expected (since this morning at least), USDOT announced today that it is now supporting the proposal to build the Silver Line along the Dulles Corridor.
In a letter to Kaine and in a 10 a.m. conference call with the governor and Virginia congressional leaders, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the $5 billion project had finally met the Federal Transit Administration's standards for cost efficiency, construction and expected ridership. The project will now move into the final design phase, a major step toward receiving $900 million in federal funding.
"As a result of the collaboration between federal and state officials, the project sponsor and other project stakeholders, the financial stability and oversight of the project has improved," Peters wrote to Kaine in a letter obtained by The Washington Post. "Cost reductions have been verified and mechanisms have been established to enhance inter-organizational cooperation, technical capacity and project management."
Good news, but this isn't fait accompli just yet:
Still, Peters went on, "much work remains" to make the project right. Today's approval comes with conditions that must be met if the project is to receive federal funding. Without that money, state and local officials have said that the project would die, ending the possibility of a long-sought rail connection between the nation's capital and its major international airport. Supporters say the line would ease congestion through Virginia's biggest jobs corridor and keep the economy humming with the transformation of suburban Tysons Corner into a thriving downtown.
Among the conditions, Peters said in her letter, is a sweeping demand that Virginia and the Metro system guarantee the capital investment necessary to maintain and operate Metro. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority recently identified $489 million in "urgent unfunded capital needs," Peters said.
Dulles Rail Set to Get Federal Approval - The Post Apparently, Virginia and the U.S. Department of Transportation has found a way to make the Dulles Corridor Metro project, tentatively called the Silver Line, meet the "Federal Transit Administration's standards for cost efficiency, construction and expected ridership." It appears U.S. DOT secretary Mary Peters overruled FTA. Good job, Peters that was the correct decision.
This is excellent news, I am glad that we can finally get started on a project that is long overdue.
Now, we get to see the tunnel vs. elevated argument start up again. I would love to see it underground, but I don't see that happening at this point.
As the Silver Line slowly dies, TysonsTunnel throws in the towel - William World News
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
As the Silver Line slowly dies, TysonsTunnel throws in the towel
Tysons Tunnel Supporters Withdraw Lawsuit - WTOP I have not seen much news about the Silver Line (Ashburn to West Falls Church via Dulles & Tysons) for some time now. Today, the news broke that TysonsTunnel.org has decided to drop its lawsuit against U.S. Department of Transportation because of the expected denial of $900 million of funding.
Gov. Tim Kaine needs to get this project back on track and resubmit it to USDOT next year when a different administration is involved.
Dulles Rail faces new bids - The Wash. Examiner Del. Dave Albo, R-Springfield and Del. Joe May, R-Leesburg inserted language into a budget bill that would force the first leg of the Silver Line to be rebid. Given the shady way the project was put together, that sounds reasonable.
Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) sent Transportation Secretary Mary Peters a letter this week, saying: "It is vitally important that this project move forward. Open dialogue between Virginia and the Department of Transportation will make certain that lawmakers are best able to alleviate the burden of increasing traffic congestion and transportation demands across the entire national capital region."
It is good to see someone from outside of Virginia getting involved too.
Chat transcript: Pearlstein on Silver Line - William World News
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Chat transcript: Pearlstein on Silver Line
Somehow I missed a chat hosted by Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein about the Dulles Corridor Metro project. It is quite an interesting and presents several points of view, though Pearlstein favors building it through a Metro line above other modes and wants it to go through Tysons. Pearlstein also outlines how he wants the project saved in his Wednesday column.
Kaine wants specifics from FTA - William World News
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Kaine wants specifics from FTA
U.S. Input Sought to Save Rail To Dulles - The Post Gov. Tim Kaine, in an open letter (PDF), has asked the Federal Transit Administration to identify specifics on how to get the $900 million funding. He should have asked for this days ago.
WMATA head John Catoe disagrees with FTA's assessment that Metro can't handle another line.
House of Delegates speaker William Howell wants to start the project over from scratch. He is a proponent of bus rapid transit.
The state needs to get its act together and push hard with the next administration for some federal funding. It seems pretty clear this isn't going to happen until then.
Not too much Silver Line news - William World News
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Not too much Silver Line news
Governor at center of two transit disputes - The Wash. Times Speaker of the House William J. Howell claims to have been ignored when he warned the the Dulles Corridor Metro project was flawed. He was opposed to involving the Metropolitan Washington Aiports Authority in the project and in favor of private financing that may have included "selling the rights" to collect tolls on the Dulles Toll Road. Howell wants "the General Assembly should push for the oversight authority to investigate how the state got in this position" which sounds like a good idea, provided its mandate is to figure out how to get the project back on track, not to merely place blame.
Wednesday's Silver Line update - William World News
Wednesday's Silver Line update
Kaine Raises The Specter Of Higher Dulles Tolls - The Post If the Federal Transit Administration denies $900 million for the Dulles-Tysons Metro expansion, increased tolls on the Dulles Toll Road could be one way of making up the shortfall. Governor Tim Kaine says he doesn't want to support that though.
Kaine thought Dulles was deal on track - The Wash. Times Yet another article about how Gov. Kaine feels blindsided by the FTA. We know, stop taking about it and figure out how to get this done.
And the irony of increased tolls on 267 would mean that more traffic gets diverted onto 66 westbound or Route 7 westbound, all to avoid paying the tolls. Good thing we don't live in Loudoun County, though, as I think the Greenway is now up to $4.
# posted by Fritz :
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 8:52:00 AM
I don't believe Greenway tolls are part of the Silver Line funding mechanism. That road is a public/private partnership that is different from the Dulles Toll Rd. There have already been toll increases on the Toll Rd. to pay for the Silver Line.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 9:14:00 AM
Post a CommentHope or tease for Silver Line? USDOT grants "cooling off period" - William World News
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Hope or tease for Silver Line? USDOT grants "cooling off period"
Va. Gains Time to Save U.S. Funding for Dulles Rail - The Post U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has announced a cooling off period for the FTA and Virginia regarding Tysons-Dulles Metro extension. One source close to the governor suggested that "There is a glimmer here. It may be a temporary cessation of hostilities. It may be a pathway to getting this thing approved." The lead contractor has also agreed to add an extra 30 days to the escalation clause that was to kick in on Friday, Feb. 1.
Monday updates on Tysons-Dulles Metro - William World News
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday updates on Tysons-Dulles Metro
The fallout from the FTA's show of no confidence in the existing Dulles corridor Metro plan continues to generate coverage.
Private Interest In Rail To Dulles - The Post The Carlyle Infrastructure Fund is mentioned as a potential private investor. Private financing of public transportation has the FTA's endorsement.
The Post's Get There blog wonders what Plan B winds up being and notes
"the Federal Transit Administration said it doubted whether the Washington airports authority could manage the project. Let's take that concern as valid for a moment.
If the airports authority, which is managing the multi-billion dollar expansion of Dulles Airport, can't manage construction of a Metrorail line, who could?
How about Metro?
No. After Metro built out the five rail lines as planned, it got out of the rail construction business. It no longer has a department that could immediately turn its attention to the task of building a new rail line across the District or the suburbs."
Even though I rarely refer to this as the "Silver Line" (I don't know if that is an official name or merely an anticipated one) I have gone ahead and created a category for Dulles Corridor rail called "Silver Line."
A solution for Tysons-Dulles Rail - William World News
A solution for Tysons-Dulles Rail
Given the events of last week, I think that Virginia officials, WMATA and MWAA need to visit this guy:
You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.
Falling that, they need to get better organized, be more specific about who is doing what and wait for the next administration. Hopefully that one won't be looking to excuse itself from the traditional government role of building infrastructure.
Schrag on Dulles-Tysons Metro situation - William World News
Friday, January 25, 2008
Schrag on Dulles-Tysons Metro situation
This morning, I asked Zachary Schrag, assistant professor of history at George Mason University and author of The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro, if he had any comments on the letter FTA chief James Simpson sent to Governor Kaine about the Dulles-Tysons Metro extension. Dr. Schrag responded:
In June 2007, James S. Simpson told the APTA Rail Conference, "we have one shot at building these projects; so we need to build them right and we need to build them to last. Perhaps by thinking big again, we can develop the kind of national consensus we need to assure that we get the kind of cities, and nation, that we want, and find the resources to pay for them." Remarks: James S. Simpson, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, APTA Rail Conference, June 4, 2007
I find little of that approach in his January 24 letter to Governor Kaine. What does Simpson think Tysons Corner should look like a century from now? What does he think Loudoun County should look like a century from now? Unless he explain what kind of metropolitan area, and what kind of nation he wants, I don't see how he can evaluate the Dulles Line proposal.
Not surprisingly, a Post editorial wonders why the FTA took so long (after many millions of dollars were already spent) to announce its intentions. It also raises the question of how much administration ideology played a part (The Post) in the FTA's handling of the Dulles corridor Metro.
These recent developments are bad news for Northern Virginia and greater Washington D.C. There has been failure at just about every possible level along the way. Hopefully, this is just a setback, albeit a large one, to bringing mass transit to the 17th largest business district and 16th busiest airport in the country.
Tysons-Dulles Metro in jeopardy - William World News
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tysons-Dulles Metro in jeopardy
Dulles Rail Project Verging on Collapse - The Post The details are still emerging, but it appears the Silver Line linking West Falls Church to Ashburn via Tysons and Dulles is in serious jeopardy. The Federal Transit Administration is very reluctant to provide $900 million in funding for this much needed project.
FTA getting cold feet about Tysons-Dulles Metro - William World News
Thursday, January 17, 2008
FTA getting cold feet about Tysons-Dulles Metro
Federal Qualms Leave Dulles Rail at Risk - The Post Concerns over the contractor chosen to build the Silver Line, connecting Loudoun County and West Falls Church via Dulles Airport and Tysons, has put the project in jeopardy. Oddly enough, the contractor in question is not named in the article, but looking at a previous story on the subject indicates the contractor is Bechtel. Unfortunately, Bechtel was the primary contractor on Boston's Big Dig, notorious for massive cost overruns. Maybe shrouding the whole process in secrecy has backfired.
I am really annoyed that this is going on. I'm mad at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which plans to build the line. I'm mad a Virginia for not being upfront throughout the process and I'm mad at the federal government for dragging their feet too.
I do thank Adrian Fenty, mayor of Washington D.C. and Martin O'Malley, governor of Maryland, for supporting the project (The Wash. Examiner) though.
I think and hope this project is an "when, not if" situation, but I'm getting frustrated.
The consortium, called Tysons Tomorrow, will include as many as 20 landowners poised to develop a new city of high-rises around the four Metro stops planned for Tysons. The emergence of the group, which held its first meeting last week, is also intended to weaken the coalition that has staged a heavily financed, year-long effort to build a tunnel under Tysons that would bury the rail tracks. Plans now call for an aerial track, and the effort to alter that plan has been blamed for jeopardizing approval of the 23-mile line.
"I think all of us would say, 'Of course we like the tunnel,' " said Jonathan Cherner, who, with his father and brother, owns Cherner Automotive Group on Route 7 in the heart of Tysons. "But the Federal Transit Administration came back and said, 'If you want to do a major engineering change to the project, you got to go to the back of the line and start over.' That process is almost a 10-year process. We don't need mass transit in 20 years. We needed mass transit 20 years ago."
I could live with elevated rail through Tysons, but I want all information about the costs of underground vs. above-ground to be made public. I suspect the savings of building elevated rail are pennies on the dollar.
Tysonstunnel.org, a group that has sought for more than a year to persuade officials to run the planned Dulles rail line underneath Tysons Corner, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday aiming to halt the entire project until its plan is reconsidered
snip Tysonstunnel.org also is seeking to put the project out to competitive bidding, which it argues never occurred under the project's public-private partnership. The lawsuit says the FTA cannot approve the rail project because it does not follow its guidelines for "full and open competition."
"We don't want it stopped, we want it corrected so we can move forward," Tysonstunnel president Scott Monett said. "That's what we have been saying from the beginning. ... What we're asking them to do is follow their own rules that if a project is to receive federal funds that it be competitively bid."
Emphasis added -- I'm mostly concerned about the lack of competitive bidding or open records more than whether the tracks will go under or above ground. If it makes fiscally sense to put build elevated tracks, that's fine. The problem is that the numbers for each type of project have not been made available to the public.
Dulles Rail Construction May Begin Soon - Fairfax County News/WTOP Even though the new Silver Line has not been made official, utility relocation may be underway before Dec. 21. Progress at last! I've heard that the project is probably a go at this point and it is merely figuring out the particulars. It seems that the line will be built with elevated tracks instead of underground, which is a shame, but ultimately not a deal breaker for me. Also, the service roads along VA 7 will evenutually be eliminated during this project. That may be painful at first, but I think will ultimately improve traffic flow a lot.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, nearing a critical vote June 18 on funding the beginning of Metro's expansion to Dulles International Airport, will not be able to see a key assessment of the $2.7 billion project's financial risks until as late as mid-August, a federal official said yesterday.
snip
"How can we in good conscience as a board vote when we don't know whether Uncle Sam is playing ball?" said Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman (D-Lee), a leading critic of the plans to build the extension through Tysons Corner mostly above ground instead of in a tunnel. A coalition of Northern Virginia businesses and residents, http://TysonsTunnel.org, says it has an engineering study showing that the project can be built with a more aesthetically pleasing and pedestrian-friendly tunnel for a fixed price of $2.2 billion -- $500 million less than the current projected cost.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) said yesterday that he would look at the possibility of postponing the vote. But he added: "Rail to Dulles is the single most important transportation project we've got. . . . We don't want to contribute to any further delays."
Tysons Metro Tunnel appears doomed - William World News
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Tysons Metro Tunnel appears doomed
Contract Set for Rail Line To Dulles - The Post The likelihood of the Metro being extended through Tysons via a tunnel is much less following Friday's agreement (costs breakdown) between the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Dulles Transit Partners to build the line.
While an elevated line is preferable to no line, I am not convinced the tunnel option was ever given a proper and thorough review. It would be unfortunate if it turns out the elevated option was chosen to save pennies or even nickels on the dollar.
A state law intended to bring big-ticket road and rail projects to fruition quickly and cheaply also grants the parties involved an unusual level of secrecy in their negotiations. The lack of transparency could make it difficult to evaluate the financial risks that accompany such complex public works, such as cost overruns and scheduling delays, some local officials and critics say.
Here is where that becomes a problem:
The concerns about secrecy are compounded by a conflict over how the rail line will run through Tysons Corner. Current plans call for an elevated track down the middle of Route 7. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and TysonsTunnel.org, a coalition organized by the McLean Chamber of Commerce, are urging that the process be opened for consideration of a tunnel, which they say would enhance Tysons' evolution into a mature urban center.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has resisted the tunnel option, and an engineering report commissioned by the state concluded that it would be too expensive, time-consuming and technically risky. State officials also say that the delays necessary to consider a tunnel place $900 million in federal funds at risk.
Tunnel advocates say that with the construction consortium's price for the aerial option under wraps, the state's claim of a higher cost for the tunnel is not credible.
"We have all the documents [supporting] the tunnel in the public domain," said Schwartz, referring to a $3.5 million engineering study funded by TysonsTunnel.org.
If the Tysons tunnel through solution genuinely is cost prohibitive, I want to know about it through public records. Letting our government officials say "trust us" is not good enough. We don't need another Big Dig fiasco.
ALAN ARTHUR FOGG - You Say McLean. I Say Vienna. Let's All Say Tysons. - The Post A Fairfax County Economic Development official wants a new zip code and place name set up for Tyson's Corner. Currently, Vienna and McLean are both used for the 17th-largest central business district in the U.S. I don't see any big downsides to this proposal, though the McLean Chamber of Commerce might be unhappy to see two fortune 500 companies no longer have a Mclean postmark or dateline.
If it were up to me, I would make the name Tysons. We could forever clear up whether Tyson's Corner has an apostrophe or not that way.
There was an interesting article in last Sunday's Post about hopes for turning Tyson's into the next Ballston. I do not see that happening, but that doesn't mean putting the Metro underground through the area isn't a good idea. At best, a post-Metro Tyson's Corner could probably resemble Pentagon City a little bit. A more likely scenario is probably a series of "town centers" near the stations. Either way, this won't happen immediately after the line gets built, but it could probably happen quicker than the development of the Orange and Blue lines in Arlington.
Also, I recommend you visit Hans Mast's blog. Mast has been blogging an awful lot about the Tyson's Metro situation.
Tom Davis throws support behind Tyson's tunnel - William World News
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Tom Davis throws support behind Tyson's tunnel
Tom Davis, who represents the district my parents live in, has now indicated he supports building a tunnel for Metro through Tyson's Corner instead of an elevated structure. I had more to say about this development on Metroblogging DC.
I have a feeling when all the studies are done, choosing to build aboveground instead of underground would prove to be false economy.
Gov. still says no to Tyson's tunnel - William World News
Monday, February 12, 2007
Gov. still says no to Tyson's tunnel
On Road To Dulles, Confusion And Angst - The Post Gov. Tim Kaine is still holding firm on his decision to endorse an elevated route for Metro through Tyson's Corner. I see where Kaine is coming from, but based on what we learned last week, I think there is time to for him to reconsider his position.
Of course, if tysonstunnel.org had been created in 2005 or earlier, we might not be having this discussion. It is not the end of the world if the tracks go above ground, but I think it is pennywise and poundfoolish to go that way.
More hope for a Tysons tunnel - William World News
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
More hope for a Tysons tunnel
Tunnel Backers Given New Hope - The Post It turns out that there is more time to submit the plans for Metro through Tysons Corner than previously thought. Final plans are not due to the Federal Transit Administration until May 2008, giving 15 months for boosters of a tunnel through Tysons to make their case.
The more and more I think about it, the more it makes sense to build the line underground through Tysons.
Tysons Lego Store: Why couldn't we have had this 20 years ago? - William World News
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Tysons Lego Store: Why couldn't we have had this 20 years ago?
One of the reasons Tysons Corner Center is one of the premier malls in the country is because it often has specialty stores before other malls. An excellent example of this the Lego Store, which I recently stopped by during my semi-annual mall trip. That place is cool and by cool, I mean totally sweet. Had it existed when I was a kid my parents might have gone broke. In addition to having lots of Lego sets and grabbags of random Legos, the store has an entire wall of Legos bins from which you can select individual pieces like brown chairs. Who knew there was such a need for brown chairs?
While the grumpy old man in me thinks that increasing the Lego specialization (i.e. spectrum beyond the classic blue-red-yellow-white-gray-black facial expressions other than smiles, ornamental grass?!) that started with Blacktron is a bit much, I make an exeption for coolest toy team-up ever -- Lego Star Wars.
You can't fight City Hall, a.k.a. Blockoland - William World News
Monday, December 04, 2006
You can't fight City Hall, a.k.a. Blockoland
TYSONS CORNER, Va. -- This morning I wrote a post about the Lego Store in Tysons Corner Center on Metroblogging DC. Had the pierced teenager behind the counter prohibited me from taking photographs, I was prepared to write an indignant e-mail or blog post about how stupid Lego employees were. However, she didn't care and I decided I would use the title above anyway, so it is a win-win situation.
STEVEN PEARLSTEIN - Suburban Soul - The Post Reston Is Hot Property, but Tysons Hums With 'Messy Vitality' Pearlstein compares an emerging Reston Town Center with Tysons Corner and comes down on the side of Tysons.
I am not a big fan of Reston, even as a kid it seemed a little odd; that planned community makes my hometown of Vienna look like a Norman Rockwell painting in comparison. I have been critical of Reston Town Center too, because I always thought of it as four square city blocks in the middle of a field. That is changing though, the immediate area has filled in and it is fairly vibrant, even with nothing but chain stores and restaurants. Pearlstein notes, there are some impressive buildings there too. In short, Reston Town Center has matured into a pretty good location, especially for Fairfax County.
Tysons, on the other hand, is a disaster of epic proportions. There is more office space there than Denver or Pittsburgh and yet the only shared experience is sitting in traffic trying to get on Route 7 or 123. Messy vitality? No, just messy. Tysons makes Rosslyn look like like midtown Manhattan.
I have hopes that Metro, whether under or above ground, can focus redevelopment of Tysons into a more urban setting the takes of advantage of the masses of people to become something more like a city. Reston Town Center, is ready for that already. Nobody is going to confuse either location with Connecticut and K, but they don't need to be, just be walkable is probably enough.
Observations XIII: Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos - William World News
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Observations XIII: Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
The Democrats won Congress by not being the Republicans. If they believe that they have a mandate from the American public, they will lose power in 2008. I also think that fears from some Republicans about this being a major shift to the left are unfounded. I think the left will be more dissapointed with the performance of the new majority two years from now than the right.
It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Lynn Swann had actually run for governor in Pennsylvania. He was potentially a very attractive candidate; very likable, part of the party of most rural Pennsylvanias, a former Steeler, etc. Many people in Pennsylvania's interior absolutely hate Philly native Gov. Ed Rendell. How much of the hate is from policies and how much is from an anti-Philly bias, I don't know. Now that it is all over, I hope ABC rehires Swann as soon as possible.
Of all the fast food places in the area, Boston Market seems to be the least competent. I have pretty much stopped going there because they can't seem to make a sandwich correctly the first time. Earlier this week I figured I would give hem another shot and went to the McLean one which was out of turkey. I walked out and eventually discovered a Booeymonger's in Ballston. I wish we had one of those or Potbelly in the Tysons/Vienna area; I want a sub option other than Subway. Wawa would also be great. I know Sheetz is not ever coming here.
Recent earworm: That damn Mellancamp song
I have lived in Pentagon City for about five years, but only flown at of National once. Granted, I have flown about six times since then, but I would have hoped to have bene able to use when I actually flew.
I'm way overdue for going to another city on the Northeast corridor. One of these days I'll have to get up to Philly for my cheesesteak.
I think it would be really funny if the president of the Human Rights Campaign or similar organization was revealed to have an intimate hetero relationship on the eve of a major event like Coming Out Day. The media reaction could be very interesting.
When possible, I like to get my haircut at Fetterolf's Barber Shop in State College. They are cheap and best of all, actual barbers who can do things like cut my hair without asking "what number?" They know how to use a straight razor too. I get their twice during football season and another time or two during the rest of the year.
My record on mayor's bets is about 2-6-1 in the last three years. Someone will probably have to start a AlwaysBetAgainstWFY.com site.
I was unaware that Pittburgh's Original Hot Dog Shop (aka "The O") had closed. Erica and I went there in 2000.
I finally started buying iTunes. What I'm buying so far:
Lay Lady Lay, Bob Dylan What I'd Say Ray Charles Here's Where the Story Ends, The Sundays Brazil, Django Reinhardt Take Five, Dave Brubeck Schindleria Priematuras, Yes Fire on High, ELO
I wonder if JerSea Enterprises is rushing out orders of EXIT 9 magnets, stickers, etc.
I miss the old General Drafting Co./TravelVision/Exxon/American maps. They were always my favorite since they were easy to read and provided lots of useful information. Since they were bought out by Langenscheidt Publishing (who also owns ADC Maps) the quality has gone down and the traditional look is gone. I think it is is a loss for cartography.
Especially since there wasn't a national election this year, I think you're right. I heard on the radio this week that a swing of just 70,000 votes in the right places would have allowed the Republicans to retain the House. And a similar margin would have given the 2004 election to John Kerry.
Meanwhile, I don't understand why we have to build a ray gun to aim at a planet I never even heard of.
# posted by Anonymous :
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 3:46:00 PM
Rail Route In Tysons An Uphill Challenge - The Post It is easy to forget that Tysons Corner is around 500 feet above sea level, as opposed to the Potomac River which is 1 foot above sea level. This presents quite a challenge for the engineers planning the new line from West Falls Church. The cost involved in doing this could sink the whole deal/ and then in five years, when it is addressed again, it would cost much more.
This is a bullet that needs to be bitten, the stalling has gone on for too long. Graphic: The Remaking of Tysons Corner.
VIENNA, Va. -- Our Vienna Bureau Chief (aka WHY or Dad) sent in this photo from his backyard (table top I believe). 21.5 inches is the official total over there. In Alexandria it was 20.5, so they win the snow challenge I guess.
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