DC's new Silver Line train: 7months late and $150M over budget

[JEDI]

but at least it's finally here.

and thankfully the people that take the Toll road are the ones who footed the bill for the cost overruns.
ie: rate hike from $0.75 to $2.50 over 2yrs


cant wait for the extention to Dulles airport.
also cant believe it took 25yrs after the metro system was built to finally implement a train connection to Dulles airport, especially when the original design stated an extention to dulles

 

[mmntech]

Is that $2.50 per trip or per mile? That's either really cheap or really expensive.

 

[purbeast0]

i cannot believe how shitty the metro has become and how ridiculous the prices have become. i used to take it from grosvenor to crystal city for work, and it started at about $10/day. after working there 20 months, the price had risen to $11.60/day.

not to mention, i'd use on average about 1 broken escalator a day. in the summer months, i'd get on about 1 car with no a/c a week. it's just ridiculous. not to mention all of the random delays and shitty track working schedules.

2 weeks ago i took the metro on a friday evening about 10 stops (from rockville to dupont circle) and the price for that was $5.60 if you don't have a smartcard, or $4.60 if you do. at least i still have mine from back in the day. but oh, on top of that, they now charge for parking friday nights, which has happened in the past year or so. so tack on another $5 for parking.

when i got on the metro that night, the first car i was in had no a/c in it. so i went to the one right next to it at the next stop. and that one had no a/c in it either. luckily the next one i went into at the next stop had a/c in it.

when i was a kid i would take the redline from forest glen to twinbrook (which is a long ride, like 45 minutes) so that i could get to an arcade, and it cost me $2. it's just crazy how much the prices have risen and how shitty the service is. yet it's still better than having to drive into dc.

 

[cabri]

Although the original financing plan called for a 50-cent toll increase on the Dulles Toll Road to finance the Silver Line (25 cents at the main plaza and 25 cents at the ramp plazas), the increase in projected costs resulted in the MWAA Board approving an increase in the surcharges. Effective January 1, 2010, the fare surcharge was increased to 50 cents at both the main plaza and ramp plazas, with additional 25-cent increases in main-plaza tolls set for 2011 and 2012.[26] These toll surcharges are designed to support MWAA's 52.6% share of the projected $5.25 billion combined cost of Phase I and Phase II. MWAA has justified these toll increases as necessary to meet an estimated $220 million in annual debt-service costs projected by 2020.[27] These toll revenue requirements were based on the assumption that the federal government, although it contributed $900 million to Phase I, would not contribute funds for Phase II.[27]

As a result of the surcharge increases, the toll in 2012 will be $2.25,[28] or 16 cents per mile. The toll increase proposal drew 221 public comments, and opponents outnumbered supporters by about 3 to 1.[28] However, as the cost estimate grew from $5.25 billion to $6.8 billion, no final decisions have been reached to address the projected shortfall.

Toll Road paying for the transit line cost.

 

[JEDI]

Toll Road paying for the transit line cost.

wow.. did not know the fed govt will not be paying for phase II.
surprised since Phase II is what actually connects it to the Dulles Airport, which is under fed govt control?

wait.. cost estimate grew by ~20% ($1.5B)? holy Christ.
what was the breakdown for phase I + II?

I could only imagine the costs if the silver line was underground at the multiple stops in the Tysons area instead of above ground

 

[Slew Foot]

Seems like a bargain as far as goverment projects go

 

[I Saw OJ]

Can't wait to see how much over time and over budget our high speed rail is going to be here in California.

 

[JEDI]

Can't wait to see how much over time and over budget our high speed rail is going to be here in California.

wait.. CA has the $ to build a train system?!

thought it was near bankruptcy due to it's dysfunctional govt where you need 2/3's majority to pass anything?!

And WTF idiots came up with the 2/3's rule?
and which party? (dem or repub) that came up w/that idea?

and don't worry.. if its anything like the Long shoremen at the main shipping dock, costs are going to be astronomical.

 

[Slew Foot]

wait.. CA has the $ to build a train system?!

thought it was near bankruptcy due to it's dysfunctional govt where you need 2/3's majority to pass anything?!

And WTF idiots came up with the 2/3's rule?
and which party? (dem or repub) that came up w/that idea?

and don't worry.. if its anything like the Long shoremen at the main shipping dock, costs are going to be astronomical.

Dems got elected and jacked up everyones taxes. combined with a tech bubble the budget is balanced for now.

 

[cabri]

wow.. did not know the fed govt will not be paying for phase II.
surprised since Phase II is what actually connects it to the Dulles Airport, which is under fed govt control?

wait.. cost estimate grew by ~20% ($1.5B)? holy Christ.
what was the breakdown for phase I + II?

I could only imagine the costs if the silver line was underground at the multiple stops in the Tysons area instead of above ground

The first phase of the project is funded 43% by $900 million of federal funding, 28% by a special tax district on commercial property proximate to the Silver Line route, and 28% by a $0.50 toll increase on the Dulles Toll Roa

Roughly $2.1B for the current phase if you work from the Fed 900m 43% number

From wiki

The $2.7 billion project was originally awarded by VDOT under the Virginia Public-Private Partnership Act, rather than by using conventional competitive bidding based upon a detailed specification

While construction of Phase I to Wiehle – Reston East was under way, the funding and planning of Phase II through Dulles Airport continued. This included the adoption of a special taxing district by the Town of Herndon[77] and a public planning forum.[78] Early cost estimates for Phase II had been $2.75 billion, however a group of consultants increased the estimate in 2010 from $3.44 billion to $4.1 billion.[79]

On April 6, 2011, the MWAA Board voted 9 to 4 to build an underground station located 550 feet (170 m) from the airport terminal rather than an above-ground station 1,150 feet (350 m) away from the terminal. The underground station would be more convenient to travelers, but would come at an additional cost of $330 million and would extend the construction time of the project, delaying the expected opening to mid-2017.[80] Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell opposed the decision to build a more expensive underground station, and threatened to withhold support for the project. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood offered to mediate the dispute.[81] On March 7, 2012, the projected $3.8 billion cost for Phase II was reduced to $2.7 billion with the elimination of the underground station at Dulles Airport and other cost savings.[82]

The extension of the Silver Line to Dulles and into Loudoun County was in jeopardy until July 3, 2012, when the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted 5-4 to extend the line to Dulles Airport and into the county.[83]

On April 25, 2013, the phase 2 contract was issued at a cost of $1.177 billion

I do not think that the 1.177B can be correct for the full package. The 2.7B is much more reasonable.

 

[Jimzz]

Not only that but to help the silver line the blue line will see longer waits as well.

It was bad enough when I use to ride, I live near the Springfield Blue station, but now its even worse time wise and cost more.

 

[Blackjack200]

Seems like a bargain as far as goverment projects go

New York City's 2nd ave. Subway: $2.23 billion per mile

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014...enue-subway-and-it-cant-afford-not-to/374538/

 

[cabri]

New York City's 2nd ave. Subway: $2.23 billion per mile

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014...enue-subway-and-it-cant-afford-not-to/374538/

Road repaving costs $1M/lane mile

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

For DC? That's right on target. I'm sure somebody got a bonus for being so efficient.

 

[SheHateMe]

I rode the Silver Line on Friday. We were at Wiehle-Reston and there was a Green line train there that was obviously confused and was saying that it was a Blue Line to Largo Town Center.

We rode it anyway, because Metro Service on the weekend sucks major Peen.

Nice to know that the Silver Line could have taken me out to Reston to get to the job I quit last month. Hopefully, this means better traffic. I work out in Fairfax now and Traffic isn't so bad getting there. I take 495 to 95S towards Richmond to get back to Woodbridge.

 

[Greenman]

wow.. did not know the fed govt will not be paying for phase II.
surprised since Phase II is what actually connects it to the Dulles Airport, which is under fed govt control?

wait.. cost estimate grew by ~20% ($1.5B)? holy Christ.
what was the breakdown for phase I + II?

I could only imagine the costs if the silver line was underground at the multiple stops in the Tysons area instead of above ground

A 20% cost over run is nothing, the new bay bridge here in sunny California was supposed to cost a billion dollars, it ended up just short of seven billion, and it's still fucked up. Every month they discover another new problem that will cost "a few hundred thousand" to repair, and that number always turns into a few million.
Our new high speed rail is going to be a clusterfuck of biblical proportions, though I doubt it will ever be completed.

 

[DCal430]

Better than California whose projects are usually over a billion over budget and years delayed. With no consequences for the builder.

 

[sjwaste]

I left Ballston a few years ago. How on earth are they managing the Silver, Blue and Orange line all sharing track between EFC and Stadium-Armory? The Orange line was already a clusterfuck when I got on at Ballston and was more or less a moving sardine can by the time you got to Rosslyn. Is it worse, since I presume they have to cut frequency during rush hour to make room for Silver trains? Or did they reroute some Orange/Blue trains onto Silver since they share track where the bulk of the traffic is?

 

[tortillasoup]

Better than California whose projects are usually over a billion over budget and years delayed. With no consequences for the builder.

The only project Caltrans has ever done under budget in recent memory is the 4th bore for the Caldecott Tunnel running from Orinda to Berkeley. It's actually more amazing how everything went off without a hitch for that tunnel project and they did a great job.

 

[LTC8K6]

7months late and $150M over budget

It will probably lose money every year, too...

 

[shortylickens]

i cannot believe how shitty the metro has become and how ridiculous the prices have become. i used to take it from grosvenor to crystal city for work, and it started at about $10/day. after working there 20 months, the price had risen to $11.60/day.

not to mention, i'd use on average about 1 broken escalator a day. in the summer months, i'd get on about 1 car with no a/c a week. it's just ridiculous. not to mention all of the random delays and shitty track working schedules.

2 weeks ago i took the metro on a friday evening about 10 stops (from rockville to dupont circle) and the price for that was $5.60 if you don't have a smartcard, or $4.60 if you do. at least i still have mine from back in the day. but oh, on top of that, they now charge for parking friday nights, which has happened in the past year or so. so tack on another $5 for parking.

when i got on the metro that night, the first car i was in had no a/c in it. so i went to the one right next to it at the next stop. and that one had no a/c in it either. luckily the next one i went into at the next stop had a/c in it.

when i was a kid i would take the redline from forest glen to twinbrook (which is a long ride, like 45 minutes) so that i could get to an arcade, and it cost me $2. it's just crazy how much the prices have risen and how shitty the service is. yet it's still better than having to drive into dc.

I hate the metro.

Any time I need to go into the city I take the VRE as far as I can and minimize metro use.

 

[dabuddha]

but at least it's finally here.

and thankfully the people that take the Toll road are the ones who footed the bill for the cost overruns.
ie: rate hike from $0.75 to $2.50 over 2yrs


cant wait for the extention to Dulles airport.
also cant believe it took 25yrs after the metro system was built to finally implement a train connection to Dulles airport, especially when the original design stated an extention to dulles

pfft, take a look at the Silver Spring transit center. I wonder if it'll ever open up.

 

[Red Storm]

After having been to London, it's shocking just how bad our metro is by comparison. Obviously the train is a little more important to the Brits, but the difference is still shameful.

 

[Exterous]

After having been to London, it's shocking just how bad our metro is by comparison. Obviously the train is a little more important to the Brits, but the difference is still shameful.

Mind the gap

 

[MiniDoom]

not looking forward to the property tax increase for something i use once or twice a year.