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April 3, 2009

Support Next Phase of Rail

By Christopher L. Moore Observer Editor

Now that the first phase of rail to Dulles Airport has received the blessing, and the crucial funding, from the federal government, attention is rapidly turning to the second phase, which is expected to carry the rail all the way to the airport and to bring community stations to Herndon and into Loudoun County.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates the Toll Road and is handling the rail construction project, is pushing to get started on Phase 2, possibly within a year. Fantastic. But there's a catch, and here's where all the residents—and in particular the property owners—of Herndon and Reston should pay careful attention.

The rails stops in the first phase of the rail line were paid for by a tax district voluntarily imposed by the owners of commercial land between Tysons Corner and Wiehle. However, no such tax district, or any other funding mechanism, currently exists to pay for local stations between Wiehle Avenue and the airport.

This means there is a possibility that the rail line could be extended from Wiehle Avenue directly to the airport with no stops in between, bypassing Reston Town Center, Herndon-Monroe and the Center for Innovative Technology.

Reston Town Center property owners have deep pockets, and the developers of what is planned to be a mammoth development near the CIT have plenty of incentive to make sure their communities have rail stops, even if they have to write the checks themselves.

But the mere suggestion that the rail line could be extended without a Herndon stop should send shivers up the spines of every resident in the area. Herndon already struggles to maintain its relevance in the shadow of Loudoun County and Reston, which has almost triple the number of residents of Herndon. Without a rail stop the town could become a suburb of these larger suburban communities.

Business groups, including the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, the Dulles Chamber of Commerce and others, have begun a campaign to encourage the Fairfax Board of Supervisors to increase the planned building density along the rail line to create an incentive for property owners to buy into the tax district. With more density allowed, they can afford to pay more in taxes in return for future revenues from larger buildings.

The road ahead must be navigated quickly. A funding mechanism for the second phase needs to be in place, most likely within a year, and that's a daunting task given the number of different perspectives involved.

I urge the Herndon Town Council to make completion of the Phase 2 tax district a priority, and to work with Fairfax County supervisors and other officials to communicate the plan to property owners within the town and campaign for their support.

Only by receiving support from the business community, the various government and community groups, and—most importantly—the public, will the Phase 2 tax district be successful.

And its success is exactly what this area needs to reach the goal of a local rail connection that has been sought for so long.