JOINT BOARD MATTER
September 25, 2006
Supervisor Smyth, Chairman Connolly, Supervisors Hudgins, DuBois and Kauffman

Request that the Commonwealth of Virginia Exercise the Competitive Bid Option for the
Extension of Rail to and through Tysons Corner

Mr. Chairman:

Pursuant to our discussions about the rail extension to Tysons Corner at our last Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisors Kauffman, Hudgins, DuBois and I bring this Board Matter forward today. As you remember, the Board collectively expressed several concerns about the un-bid contract provided to Dulles Transit Partners through the PPTA.

Our concerns are heightened by the twice-suspect accuracy of Dulles Transit Partners’ cost estimates. On the one hand these estimates are clearly driven by excessively high rates of profit, indirect costs, and overhead that approach 40% of the project cost. On the other hand, crucial features (such as escalators, elevators and pedestrian bridges) have been eliminated to meet cost efficiency guidelines. For the sake of taxpayers and future Metro riders, we believe that the Governor should exercise the Commonwealth’s option to competitively bid this large and crucial transportation project. Opening this project to a competitive bidding process is in no way intended to slow down or delay the rail extension. We simply need to ensure that we obtain all the vital features necessary to make the new rail line fully functional and must confirm that the taxpayers of Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia receive the best value possible. A competitive bid process would facilitate both of these goals.

Motion:

I move that the Board urge Governor Kaine to immediately exercise the Commonwealth’s option to initiate a competitive bidding process for the extension of rail to and through Tysons Corner and that the scope of the project include all the vital design features removed by Dulles Transit Partners in the past as cost reduction measures.