The Silver Spring Transit Center isn't just a Montgomery County MD thing

To the news media

To Montgomery County MD council and executive

To the Federal Transit Administration

To the Maryland Transit Administration
To Metro users

To ALL US citizens

NEWS ALERT!

The Silver Spring Transit Center isn't just a Montgomery County, MD thing.

Funding for the $141+ million, severely flawed, LEMON  Silver Spring Transit Center is 53% federal, 11% state and 36% Montgomery County.

Despite the fact that the news media, Montgomery County's executive and council, WMATA, the Federal Transit Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration act as if Montgomery County's Council isn't spending other peoples' money, in fact, they are.

• 53% of the funding for the SSTC comes from the general public, including all those from nearby District of Columbia and Virginia and all 50 states (most of which are distant from Montgomery County MD)
• 11% of the funding for the SSTC comes from MD citizens, including those who rarely, if ever, use Metro
• 36% of the funding for the SSTC comes from Montgomery County citizens

The bad news is that none of us were given the opportunity to ask our questions and make our comments on the public record BEFORE the decision to make "repairs" to the severely flawed, LEMON  Silver Spring Transit Center was made. The good news is that FINALLY we can ALL be heard on the public record.

On Tuesday January 13, 2015 at 1:30 PM a public hearing will be held at the Montgomery County Council Hearing Room, 100 Maryland Avenue, in Rockville. The purpose of the public hearing is to present for approval a "supplemental appropriation and CIP amendment for $16,750,000" for "repairs" to the severely flawed, LEMON  Silver Spring Transit Center. Those who wish to testify must call 240-777-7803 by 1/12/15 at 5 pm.

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/resources/files/agenda/col/current_agenda.pdf

Let's have a BIG turnout from those inside and outside Montgomery County whose taxes and user fees have been spent for poor engineering design (Parsons Brinkerhoff), poor construction (Foulger Pratt, subcontractors), poor inspection and testing (Balter Co.), poor management (Montgomery County, Maryland Transit Administration, Federal Transit Administration), needed structural evaluations--because of the poor design, construction, inspection, testing and management--(KCE Structural Engineers, subconsultants, surveys, sampling, testing, etc.) and ill-advised * "repairs" to the severely flawed, LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center.

For those who are unable to attend, send your letters to George Leventhal, Chairman, Montgomery County Council, and ask that your letter be made part of the public record for the hearing.

It's way past time to stop the madness, and the bleeding, to pull the plug, and to cut the public's losses with the overdue, over-budget, severely flawed, LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center.

* ill-advised "repairs" because  WMATA requires expansion joints to be located every 100 ft. (or closer) apart; the 315 ft. by 580 ft. SSTC has none. The SSTC will continue to have no expansion joints after "repairs" are made. 

No matter what you may hear from news media, Montgomery County's executive, council, staff, consultants (paid or otherwise), supporters, the Maryland Transit Administration or the Federal Transit Admnistration, these two facts are true: (1) understrength and overstressed concrete will remain after current "repairs" have been made and (2) current "repairs" fail to deal with the likely source of the cracking--the SSTC's complete lack of expansion joints. (1) KCE found understrength and overstressed concrete all over the SSTC (see "Excerpts from KCE's SSTC structural report" below). Understrength and overstressed concrete is not being replaced with the current "repairs". (2) Current "repairs" do not add expansion joints where there are none. (3) By definition the severely flawed SSTC is a LEMON. The SSTC will remain a LEMON even after current "repairs" have been made.

Excerpts from KCE's SSTC structural report

"Based on in situ sampling and testing performed, the concrete in the structural decks has lower compressive strength than required by the Contract Documents. The compressive strength is also lower than that reported by construction period sampling and testing."
page 5, Silver Spring Transit Center Investigation Report, Volume 1, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, PC

"... the as-designed analysis indicates the initial and service level stresses were exceeded."
page 6

"Our analysis determined that certain beams in the drive lanes do not have adequate strength to support the design loads for both as-designed and as-built conditions when the in-situ concrete strength is less than the specified concrete strength, i.e., 8,000 psi vs. 6,970 psi (the in-place strength as described herein). In addition, we again determined that initial stress limits required by Code limitations of induced stresses to control cracking at initial and service conditions were exceeded."
page 7

"Our analysis determined that the girders at limited locations do not have adequate strength to support the design loads in combined shear and torsion with either 8,000 psi or 6,970 psi concrete. In addition, stress limits at initial and service conditions exceeded design limits."
page 7

NOTES:
1. "in-situ" = in-place = as-built. After construction, when KCE was hired to perform a structural investigation of the SSTC, in-place samples of the as-built concrete were taken and tested.

2. "Strength" (e.g., "compressive strength...") is a material's inherent ability to take external loads (forces), e.g., a fully loaded bus. Lumber, steel, reinforced concrete (steel tendons and/or rebars added), etc. all have "strength", i.e. they can all take external loads (forces) to some limit without breaking. (Obviously, steel and reinforced concrete, correctly manufactured, mixed, constructed, etc. to preset industry standards, have more "strength"--ability to take larger external loads for the same span and material dimensions--than lumber.)

3. "Stress" is the internal pressure (psi or pounds per square inch) that results in lumber, steel, concrete, etc. when external loads (forces) are applied. "Failure stress" is the internal pressure limit in a material that causes it to break. (Obviously, steel and reinforced concrete have higher "failure stress limits" in pounds per square inch, or psi, than lumber.)

4. "Design stress" (e.g. "...initial and service level stresses...") is the maximum internal stress used for design. Because of variability in specimens of the same material (lumber, steel, concrete, etc.), the applied load (force) at failure for specimens of like material and size is not the same. "Design stress", therefore, is always lower than "failure stress".

Photos are taken from KCE & WMATA reports (2013)

Transit center, White Oak plan remain key issues in Silver Spring -- Gazette.Net 

"'The contractors and consultants responsible will be held fully accountable for all costs related to and resulting from the necessary remediation and subsequent costs,' Leggett said."

Really?!?  When did you become a soothsayer, Leggett?

Isiah Leggett, the new Nostradamus

 I was born at night; but, not LAST night!

GET REAL, Leggett!!! 
You can't predict the future any more than I, or anybody else, can. You, of all people, should know that the judicial system (courts) will decide who pays for what, and that you alone aren't the judicial system.

Hold onto your wallets, folks! 
Private lawyers, court costs, extraordinarily high operations & maintenance costs, contractors, consultants, etc. ... not to mention time and expenses connected with legal proceedings, operations, maintenance, and other SSTC issues by Montgomery County's executive, council & staff. 

"In 2014, the Silver Spring Transit Center was a gift that kept giving..."

Correct!!! 

and 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020...

Silver Spring Transit Center

News media, why don't you report on how and why Montgomery County selected Parsons Brinkerhoff, Foulger Pratt and Balter Co. in the first place? It's an important part of the SSTC story. 

Could it be because of your own "cozy" relationship with Montgomery County government that you haven't reported how and why Montgomery County selected Parsons Brinkerhoff, Foulger Pratt and Balter Co. in the first place?

Silver Spring Transit Center
aka Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

1. Attend the Jan. 13 public hearing.

2. Say NO to the proposal to raid the general fund & other projects of $21+ million for "repairs" to the LEMON SSTC. 

According to Leggett & Dise, the Silver Spring Transit Center is a complicated structure. Really? Good luck to Montgomery County building inspectors, and to those working and living in or near the hundreds of high rises in Montgomery County MD, if this is a complicated structure.

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

It just keeps getting deeper and deeper with the Silver Spring Transit Center.

          Snow job          

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

1. Montgomery County councilman and chairman of its transportation committee, Roger Berliner, would have us believe by his public statements that WMATA's engineers are disingenuous when they balk at accepting the severely flawed SSTC. Mr. Berliner would have us believe that our lying eyes are deceiving us--that we aren't really seeing: 

• photos of cracks and exposed reinforcement in KCE's and WMATA's reports
• construction test reports for concrete that show exactly the same test results for multiple samples
• in situ tests that show that the SSTC's less than five years old concrete is under-strength and overstressed (the yet-to-be-opened SSTC hasn't seen its first fully loaded bus)
• measurements that show deck slabs are more than an inch thinner than the 10 inches thick that they're supposed to be
• a complete lack of expansion joints (WMATA requires expansion joints spaced no more than 100 ft. apart; the 315 ft. by 580 ft. SSTC has none.)
• reports that "chunks of concrete" have fallen from the SSTC
• etc. 

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

2. David Dise has said publicly on numerous occasions that "the Silver Spring Transit Center absolutely will be safe". 

Dise would have us believe that he can see rebars buried inside hardened concrete, assure us that all of the rebars that are supposed to be there are there *, that they're the right grade (strength), size (diameter), and length, and that they're properly tied to rebars around them. Even if we believe that Dise has x-ray vision, like Superman, does he really expect us to believe that he can also predict the future? Not even Superman can predict the future.

* We know from KCE's and WMATA's reports that not all rebars are in place like they're supposed to be. Severely cracked pour strips, a.k.a. closure slabs, are clear evidence that slab rebars are missing. What other rebars are missing from beams, girders and columns? No one, including David Dise, knows for sure. 

Figure 3-3. Soffit of pour strip on Level 330.
from May 2, 2013 WMATA report

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

3. Dise and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett would have us believe by their public statements that the Silver Spring Transit Center is a complicated structure--MUCH more complicated than a bridge or a school or a rec center. 
http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1425:price-for-silver-spring-transit-center-rises-again
The SSTC is a glorified parking garage! What's so complicated about a parking garage? 

According to Leggett & Dise, the Silver Spring Transit Center is a complicated structure. Really? Good luck to Montgomery County building inspectors, and to those working and living in or near the hundreds of highrises in Montgomery County MD, if this is a complicated structure.

It must be disconcerting, to say the least, for folks in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, etc. to know that they're living and working in and around hundreds of high-rise buildings that were inspected during construction and were issued occupancy permits by Montgomery County building inspectors who don't have the expertise to handle a parking garage with just two above ground floors. 

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

4. Montgomery County Council Chairman George Leventhal wants to raid the general fund and other public works projects to pay for "repairs" ($21+ million) to the severely flawed, overdue, overbudget, LEMON SSTC ($141+ million, and rising). 
http://www.mymcmedia.org/council-president-leventhal-news-briefing-photos-and-video/

Mr. Leventhal, I was born at night; but, not last night!

Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

On January 13 at the public hearing for his bill to raid the general fund and other projects of $21+ million to pay for "repairs" to the SSTC, tell Montgomery County council chairman George Leventhal that you're not buying it. Say NO to Leventhal's proposal to rob the general fund and other projects of $21+ million to pay for "repairs" to the LEMON SSTC.

Would you buy this LEMON?

Buying this LEMON is precisely what we're doing if we don't tell Montgomery County NO to spending another $21+ million of the public's $ to "repair" the LEMON SSTC.

It's way past time to stop the madness, and the bleeding, to pull the plug, and to cut the public's losses with the overdue, over-budget, severely flawed, LEMON SSTC.

Another 50 years of extraordinarily high operations and maintenance costs are not a good prospect for the public who are paying the bills for the deeply flawed LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center (a.k.a. the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center).

Anyone who can't see that the Silver Spring Transit Center is: 

• poorly designed
• poorly built
• poorly inspected
• poorly managed
• a burden to the public

simply isn't  paying attention.

Where the $21,750,000 for "repairs" to the Silver Spring Transit Center will come from

If Montgomery County's executive and council have their way, then $16,750,000 will be taken from the general fund, and $5,000,000 will be taken from other public works projects, to pay for "repairs" to the overdue, overbudget, severely flawed, LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center.

Is it worth it? Is it worth raiding the general fund of public money designated for "teacher, police and firefighter salaries and benefits; protection of the environment; important health initiatives; and much more"? Is it worth diverting funds from other well-designed and well-constructed public works projects for a severely flawed LEMON, a glorified parking garage on life support? Is it worth sucking public coffers dry to pay for extraordinarily high operations and maintenance costs, more "repairs", legal costs and other unknown extra expenses for the next five decades or more? 
The clear answers to these questions are NO. 

Are you going to let Montgomery County's executive and council have their way and raid the general fund and other projects to fund "repairs" to the LEMON SSTC? I hope not.

"The County Council will hold a public hearing on the bill on Jan. 13 at 1:30 p.m. and is expected to act on it that day."

Tell Montgomery County NO! to the County executive's and council's proposal to raid the general fund and other projects to fund "repairs" for the overdue, overbudget, severely flawed, LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center.

If you are unable to attend the public hearing, then send a letter to Montgomery County Council Chairman George Leventhal, stating that you object to raiding the general fund and other projects to fund "repairs" for the overdue, over-budget, severely flawed, LEMON Silver Spring Transit Center, and ask that your letter be included in the public record for the hearing.

http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1425:price-for-silver-spring-transit-center-rises-again

Silver Spring Transit Center