Newly elected MD Governor Larry Hogan has it right. He had it right in his platform--"Don't build the Purple Line"--and he has it right now--even if his stated reason--"MD can't afford it"--isn't the main reason for not building the Purple Line.
The main reason for not building the Purple Line is the Silver Spring Transit Center--more specifically, the public-private partnership Silver Spring Transit Center.
Montgomery County councilman Phil Andrews called the public-private partnership SSTC "a monumental debacle". Councilman Andrews has it right--the PPP SSTC is a monumental debacle--just read the conclusions on page 99 of KCE Engineers' structural evaluation report:
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DGS-BDC/Resources/Files/SS/509974/SSTC-Report-March-15-2013.pdf
The "monumental debacle" PPP SSTC is approximately $50 million over-budget and 5 years over schedule. For the past 2 years it's been undergoing repairs; and, it's not even open to the public yet! Recently, the Montgomery County Council approved $16+ million in general obligation bonds and $5 million "borrowed" from other well-constructed and well-designed public works projects for "repairs" to the LEMON, "monumental debacle", PPP, SSTC!
Another $21M approved for Silver Spring Transit Center
We, the paying public, don't know why the 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long Silver Spring Transit Center doesn't have any expansion joints. WMATA requires expansion joints be spaced no more than 100 feet apart.
We don't know why some concrete in elevated floors was poured without reinforcement.
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| Images from KCE & WMATA reports |
We don't know why elevated slabs in some locations are more than an inch thinner that the 10 inches thick that they're supposed to be.
We don't know why so much water was added to concrete that it is under strength. We don't know why curing concrete wasn't protected from freezing temperatures.
We don't know why test reports for different concrete samples show exactly the same test results.
Until we know why Montgomery County non-competitively selected Foulger Pratt to build the PPP SSTC, Parsons Brinkerhoff to provide the engineering design and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete, when most private companies are selected competitively for public works projects, the public-private partnership Purple Line should be put on hold indefinitely.
Yes, Governor Hogan, putting off bids for the Purple Line is the right thing to do--not so much "to cut costs" as to be true to the platform that you were elected on and to taxpayers, inside and outside Maryland, who are paying, and will continue to pay, for the "monumental debacle", public-private partnership, LEMON, Silver Spring Transit Center.
Write Gov. Hogan and tell him how you feel about wasting more of your tax money on the public-private partnership Purple Line: Governor Contact Form
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| Silver Spring Transit Center Botched Jobs Hall of Shame Lemon Award |
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