| Congressman Moran's News Commentary |
 |
 |
| By James Moran |
| Wednesday, May 13 2009 03:13:12 PM |
|
The "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," aka the "stimulus," paid dividends for northern Virginia last week when the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it had awarded $77.5 million in funding for Rail to Dulles. The move will result in $15 million in savings in the overall project's cost. The earlier money is received for the project, the more that can saved in financing costs.
Back in April, Rep. Gerry Connolly and I sent a letter to the Transportation Secretary requesting that DOT accelerate the payout of already-committed funds for Dulles Rail in order to save on financing costs. We urged DOT to make a strategic infusion of funds from the Recovery Act for Dulles Rail to save money on Phase 1 of the project, bolster the economy, advance preliminary engineering on Phase 2, and create additional jobs sooner rather than later. While this funding does not increase the federal commitment to Dulles Rail, the expedited funds will allow the project manager, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), to save on financing costs. This foresight is in part a reflection of Transportation Secretary LaHood's leadership and the administration's vision for improving public transit. Additional infusions of early dollars from the Recovery Act's DOT New Starts funding or the Secretary's discretional funds could end up saving as much as $750 million in financing costs for the project. Overall, DOT awarded $742.5 million in Recovery Act funds to pay for public transportation projects in nine states: Virginia; New York; Arizona; California; Colorado; Oregon; Texas; Utah; and Washington state. In addition to transit funding in the stimulus, consideration of the national transportation reauthorization bill is set to occur this year. This legislation is brought before Congress every six years, providing an opportunity to refocus national transit priorities and giving Members an opportunity to secure vital transportation projects for their districts. For Falls Church, I am requesting a number of projects including $2.5 million to study putting a light rail system in along Route 7 that would connect with Metro stops in the City and $2 million to improve South Washington Street. I will keep readers posted on any developments related to this legislation as it moves closer to being considered on the House floor later this summer. |
A Penny for Your Thoughts: News of Greater Falls Church The Board of Supervisors will hold a two-day retreat on Monday and Tuesday at the Workhouse at Lorton Arts Foundation in the southern part of the county. The entire Board wa... Penny Gross | Thursday, 2 February 2012 |
Senator Saslaw's Richmond Report We are now three weeks into the 2012 session of the General Assembly. Many residents of the City and advocates from the 35th Senate District have come to Richmond since th... Dick Saslaw | Tuesday, 31 January 2012 |
Our Man in Arlington Finally solved a music mystery from the wonder years of my Arlington bo... Charlie Clark | Thursday, 2 February 2012 |
Moran's News Commentary: Republicans Continue to Attack FedThis week Republicans continued their attack on the federal workforce. Led by Tea Party extremists, the House put forward a ... James Moran | Tuesday, 31 January 2012 |
 Cynthia Nixon Did Not Choose to Be GayCynthia Nixon, who played the role of Miranda Hobbes on HBO's Sex in the City, told the New York Times th... Wayne Besen | Wednesday, 1 February 2012 |
The Peak Oil Crisis: Election 2012If current trends continue, gasoline prices and U.S. energy policy seem destined to play a larger role in the political ... Tom Whipple | Wednesday, 1 February 2012 |