LTE: North-South Not the Best Use of Transportation Funds

Today, Loudoun County faces extraordinary opportunities to secure our future. However, even as the richest county in America, we still have a great deal of work to do to improve our quality of life and take advantage of new opportunities. In order to get this done, we need leaders who will invest in projects that help our community while carefully limiting said projects to those that are fiscally responsible and most needed.

The single most critical thing we can do is to work toward the completion of the Silver Line. An independent study conducted by George Mason University concluded that it will be responsible for an additional $25.6 billion (not a typo!) in economic output here in Loudoun between now and 2040. Furthermore, another study estimates that it will allow 11,500 Loudoun residents to choose to stay off our crowded roads on a daily basis. Like many of you, my commute frequently goes through Routes 7 or 50, and I couldn’t be happier about the prospect of those roads being less packed. It truly perplexes me that some officials have opposed investing in the Silver Line on the grounds that it doesn’t do enough to help commuters.

While the Silver Line will let us attract new businesses, it also gives us the chance to hit a home run on the federal side. In this regard, I’m referring to the FBI’s proposed relocation. Governor McDonnell and his administration currently favor the Springfield site. However, I fully intend to pressure the next Governor to reconsider Loudoun, and we may still be able to cause the state government to throw its weight in our favor. It’s critical that we keep up the fight and keep actively pressing our case to the state and federal governments – FBI relocation to Loudoun is estimated to bring in at least 11,000 jobs, and a far greater improvement seems realistic. Of course, FBI relocation to Loudoun also depends upon the completion of the Silver Line, since Congress has mandated that the new FBI headquarters must be within 2 miles of a metro stop.

Of course, these investments carry a price tag. In order to accomplish these priorities, we must avoid spending on unnecessary matters. In my opinion, the North-South Corridor is one of those matters. As currently constituted, the Corridor would cost an estimated $1.6 billion. This might still be worthwhile if it were projected to significantly decrease congestion on our roads. However, independent studies indicate that it will have little salutary effect upon congestion, and will likely increase the burden on Route 7. We all know that road is crowded enough already. Moreover, the Corridor would cut directly through several residential neighborhoods. As a result, my opposition to the Corridor is born of my consideration for both fiscal responsibility and our quality of life.

When taken in conjunction, these steps will allow us to bring in new jobs while avoiding unnecessary spending. These projects will have the largest impact upon our economic future, and our local and state elected officials must represent us properly in order to keep our community prosperous and our quality of life high. In turn, we hold the ultimate responsibility of keeping them accountable to the public interest.

Monte Johnson is the Democratic nominee for Delegate in the 10th House District.