The Rail Transit Money Pit

After more than a year of shut-downs, slow-downs, and break-downs, the Washington Metro rail system still faces a huge maintenance backlog. Meanwhile, rail opponents in Hawaii placed a full-page ad in the Washington Post begging President Trump to cancel funding for that city’s increasingly expensive rail project.

Click image to download a PDF of this ad.

The 20-mile Honolulu line was originally projected to cost $2.8 billion. Then it rose to $3.0 billion. By the time construction began, the projected cost rose to $5.1 billion. Now, the Federal Transit Administration says the final cost may be more than $10 billion. Although the agency denies the cost will be that high, it admits it doesn’t have enough money to finish the project. The federal government agreed to cover $1.5 billion and has paid half of that. The ad implores Trump not to pay the other half.


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Meanwhile, Washington Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld has proposed a ten-year, $15.5-billion plan to restore the rail system. To raise this money, the plan requires a continuation of $450 million a year in federal funds and $360 million a year in local funds, plus a brand-new $500 million a year dedicated regional sales or property tax. That still leaves a gap of nearly $200 million a year and the plan isn’t clear how that will be closed.

In addition, Wiedefeld proposes to contract out some services, which makes the unions mad. (The unions’ own plan calls for such unrealistic policies as property taxes on federal property, taxes on rental cars, and forcing employers to buy all their employees transit passes whether they use them or not.)

Metro has been asking for a dedicated sales or property tax to fund its maintenance program for many years, but now it appears that Wiedefeld has the attention of regional leaders. Unfortunately, even his plan has a catch: although it would provide $15 billion to fund maintenance, the Metro rail system has $25 billion maintenance backlog. That means that, after ten years of paying higher taxes, the system will still need at least $10 billion more in repairs.

Both Honolulu and Washington illustrate a general rule about rail transit: No matter how expensive you think it will be, it will be more expensive than that. The eagerness of the transit industry to continue to promote this obsolete form of transportation in cities where it doesn’t belong just shows that the industry is less interested in moving people and more interested in moving dollars into its pockets.

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About The Antiplanner

The Antiplanner is a forester and economist with more than fifty years of experience critiquing government land-use and transportation plans.

3 Responses to The Rail Transit Money Pit

  1. Henry Porter says:

    “The rail project exists today mainly because the FTA buckled under pressure from U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye … Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood praised Inouye as its ‘absolute lynchpin’.”

    Figures LaHood, *absolute tool*, would be implicated in this fiasco.

    Now, where is former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger when we really need him?

  2. OFP2003 says:

    Abandon in place. convert 50% of the highways to self-driving/communicating cars and commuter busses. “Convince” the retail outlets to provide free park and ride. Design the Park and Ride so you have to walk past the retail outlet to get to your car. COME ON PEOPLE !! THIS ISN’T ROCKET SCIENCE!!!

  3. LazyReader says:

    Whether Trump barrs federal funds for this choo choo boondoggle is irrelevant. Just like California’s 100 billion dollar high speed fail. Sooner or later another bridge will collapse in California; a result of deferred maintenance the blame will shift why Brown is spending billions on a train no ones gonna ride and not spending it where it truly matters.

    This is not the first time Hawaii has had multi billion dollar transit plans.
    – 73-74 oil embargo, Honolulu wanted 12 miles of heavy rail. Pro-rail mayor Fasi was defeated by Texas transplant Anderson.
    – 1991, they wanted 15 miles of heavy rail, County tax plan collapsed with Council voted 4 to 5
    – 2001, they wanted about 30 miles of regional and in-town BRT, plan defeated by FTA revoking

    UC professor Charles Lave insisted on observing the “Law of Large Proportions.” Investing $1 Billion on the option used by 87.9% of the people (Drive Alone and Carpool) will produce far more benefits than investing the same $1 Billion on the option used by 2.0% of the people (Rail)

    Or Hawaii can push an initiative to become Bike friendly. Oahu is a small island, roughly 20 miles by 30 miles with most of its population surrounding pearl harbor.

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