Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

In January, I expressed some serious concerns about the proposed Metrorail extension through Tysons Corner.  After all, when taxpayer dollars are at stake, we want to be sure that they are spent wisely and on sound investments.

To their credit, Governor Tim Kaine and the members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation have demonstrated an overwhelming commitment to spearheading the changes needed to keep this project moving forward, most notably with regard to the proposal’s cost effectiveness and to securing a local financial commitment.

Earlier today, Federat Transit Administrator (FTA) Jim Simpson announced that we have sent the required 10-day notification to Congress signifying our intent to move this substantially-improved proposal into the Final Design stage of FTA’s New Starts Process. This means that FTA will commit $158.7 million to use toward completion of a financial plan, construction plans, detailed engineering specifications and cost estimates, as well as other technical requirements.

This project is much better today than it was in January. While today’s action is the first step toward final approval, it should by no means be seen as a guarantee of full funding. We are looking for more progress in addressing Metro’s state of good repair and more action on reducing the risks posed to taxpayers by the potential for cost overruns and schedule delays.

Governor Kaine is guest blogging today about the Metrorail extension project through Tysons Corner on DOT’s new Fast Lane blog. I welcome him to the Fast Lane.

-Secretary Peters

As some of you may know, we have some serious traffic challenges in Northern Virginia. While there are a lot of causes that are not so good (historically, we haven’t done a great job coordinating land use and transportation planning, which is something we’ve made huge strides in over the last two years), it is also partly an outgrowth of a strong economy. Over the last two decades, Northern Virginia has grown, and the economic engine that helps drive our state (and, in fact, the nation’s capital) has expanded. With that expansion has come more traffic congestion.

Today, working together with Secretary Mary Peters, the folks at DOT, and FTA Administrator Jim Simpson, we took a major step towards offering more transportation choices to our citizens and visitors to our nation's capital with the first phase of the Dulles Rail Extension moving into the Final Design Approval stage.

The Dulles Rail project has been talked about for more than two decades and planned for more than ten years. But it took an innovative partnership between the federal government, the state, local governments, the business community and other stakeholders to move it to the Final Design Approval stage.  Secretary Peters and her staff saw the value of the project and have worked closely with me and my team to address the challenges it faced.  I believe our work will serve as a model of how complex transportation projects must be developed and evaluated in the future.

I want to thank the Secretary for her dedication, tenacity, and flexibility. I also want to thank Senators Warner and Webb and Congressmen Wolf, Davis, and Moran for their hard work on this project. It wouldn’t be where it is today without their support.

We still have a long way to go, but our mutual commitment to getting this project done – and done right – will leave a positive, lasting transportation legacy for our nation’s capital. I look forward to our continued partnership and to the success of rail through Tysons Corner.

- Governor Tim Kaine

A modern public transportation system is essential to the future of our state, our region and our city. It is vital to our economic security and to our ability to recruit new businesses and create new jobs. It provides an alternative to cars and to the traffic congestion and air pollution they bring with them.

Thanks to today’s grant, we can move forward with an innovative program that combines building the first 10 miles of a proposed dedicated Bus Rapid Transit system of more than 100 miles with a parking pricing strategy aimed at encouraging motorists to come to the Central Business District outside the normal peak hours.

We’ve always tried to lead by example. Our willingness to implement a new concept such as peak period pricing is what convinced Secretary Peters to make this grant.

It’s a way to provide the speed and reliability closer to rail service without the costly infrastructure. Both Los Angeles and Vancouver have seen bus ridership increase after they introduced BRT.

I want to thank Secretary Peters for coming to Chicago, and for asking me to join her here in the Fast Lane.  Today’s announcement is an important one for the City of Chicago, and for the millions of folks who rely on transit and park on our streets.

For more information on Chicago’s transportation system, visit our website: http://www.cityofchicago.org/Transportation/.

-Mayor Daley

Today I am in Chicago with Mayor Richard Daley, where I am announcing the city has been chosen to receive a $153.1 million Congestion Reduction Grant that will cut traffic, improve transit, and reduce pollution.  Under the terms of the agreement, USDOT will help fund four new bus rapid transit routes along heavily congested corridors in downtown Chicago, and the City will implement a high-tech, variable pricing system for all on-street parking to reduce congestion associated with circling cars and underpriced parking.

This partnership is a great example of the kinds of bold solutions to decades-old problems we at the Department of Transportation are so excited about.  Mayor Daley has taken an aggressive approach to Chicago’s traffic and congestion concerns, and has embraced innovative financing in exciting ways.  With the Chicago Skyway and Grant and Millennium parking facilities already serving the city through public-private partnerships, Mayor Daley and his city are leading the way in our transportation revolution.

View the press release for more information on today’s Congestion Reduction announcement, and the plan it will help fund.

-Secretary Peters