News and notes from Reston (tm).

Thursday, June 28, 2012

As The Silver Line Turns: For LoCo, the Final Countdown

rcounty-loudoun.jpegAs Loudoun County girds itself for a decision on joining the 21st century Phase 2 of the Metro Silver Line project next week, it appears that things could still go either way.

"It is absolutely crunch time," Ashburn Supervisor Ralph Buona (R) said. "We have got to finalize financing by Friday night. There will be more public input on Monday, and we will vote first thing Tuesday.

"I am cautiously optimistic," he said. "I would say we are 4-3 so far with two in play. We are doing everything we can to bring them over the finish line."
Earlier, three members of the LoCo Board had asked for an extension on the deadline for making a decision on participating in Phase 2, but the airports authority was all like, "naw, ain't gonna happen," so July 4 it is. These are the same three board members that gave the airports authority a reasonable list of 21 demands "considerations" they wanted in exchange for their support of the project; no word on whether "less talk, more rock" and "I'm not going to pay a lot for this muffler" were among the considerations.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bob McDonnell came to Loudoun to walk back his earlier opposition to the project say he's "completely supportive." But the state's transportation secretary sounds more like a regular at a 12-step meeting, except maybe for the part about making amends for calling pro-Metro lawmakers "idiots."
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton said he is literally taking it one day at a time.

"We've got to look at this in stages," he said. "It has been a multiyear effort to get us to this point. We've got to get past the Loudoun County vote. Before the project can move forward, there has to be confidence in the government, we have to do everything we can to lower the tolls to the lowest amount possible. It is going to be difficult to get additional money out of Richmond until we do that."
Hey, at least someone's talking about the tolls.

So next week is going to be ... interesting! But at least it gives us an excuse to post this:


AWESOME.

4 comments:

  1. Well, since we're analyzing this issue through the hairspray fog of big hair pretentious European bands, I think the band Yes offer a moment of reflection on the hyperventilation of puny undernorshied kids on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors that issue demands without any strenghth to actually back up the demand:

    I'll be the round about
    The words will make you out 'n' out
    I'll spend the day your way......
    Call it morning driving thru the sound and
    In and out the valley......

    Indeed. The 21 demands were definitely words that will make you out 'n' out.

    In and out the valley we go...the Loudoun Valley Metro we go, that is.

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  2. Restonian, your bias is clearly showing through your seemingly random choice of music video.

    The band? Europe.
    What do they have in Europe? Subways. Lots and lots of subways.

    I rest my case.

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  3. As of last night, the LoCo BoS has added a 22nd demand before they will even consider voting for Metro Phase II: a complete repeal of Obamneycare.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah recall the days of geographically hyperventilating bands: Chicago, Boston, L.A. Guns, Europe (who cares?), Asia, Alabama (token country rep). Who were in these bands? Does anyone care? LOL

    ReplyDelete

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