RestonLass Wrote:
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> Richmond Republicans (or Democracts) have nothing
> to do with the Dulles toll road. None of the toll
> road receives state funding.
The Dulles Toll Road was built by VDOT and controlled by the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board. The toll road is on an 99-year easement from FAA. The tolls were originally to retire debt the Commonwealth took on to build the thing.
http://novaroads.mjhale.com/state/267tr/index.html
The agreement to transfer the toll road for 50 years from VDOT/Commonwealth to Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority (WMAA) is -
http://www.mwaa.com/_/file/_/MasterTransferAgreementDullesTollRoad.pdf
The Airports Authority has just taken over Operation of the Toll Road.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/30/AR2009093003560.html
The Dulles Metro is being built in 2 segments. The first - to Wiehle - is being paid for by a combination of Federal, WMAA, Commonwealth, and Fairfax moneys. The Commonwealth portion is actually being funded via Toll money WMAA is required to use under the transfer agreement for the Metro. The local portion is being paid for by a special tax district on businesses near the stations. The second segment is being paid for by WMAA, Commonwealth and Fairfax & Loudoun, the Commonwealth, again from the Toll Road transfer, the local from a second special tax district on businesses near the second segment stations (in Fairfax, assuming it goes through will ensure that there are stations in Fairfax. that otherwise wouldn't get built. I don't know how Loudoun is paying for their part.).
So, contrary to your assertion, the State contribution to the Dulles Metro is actually being funded by all we Northern Virginia Toll Road Users... Just like everything else, NOVA pays for the Commonwealth.
As to why WMAA got into the act -
- WMAA's 99 year agreement with the Federal Government includes control over the land for the access road & toll road so WMAA was somewhat involved even in the first segment no matter what, and
- WMAA was concerned that, with the extension being built/funded in two segments and the Federal portion utterly dependent on the ridership ratios that were highly unlikely to be met for the second segment and the second segment having to have its own justification & be competed again for later Federal money, the Metro'd get to Wiehle and never go to Dulles.