Local politics and social and economic engineering notwithstanding, $2.5 billion is a hefty price to pay for this public-private partnership, particularly considering the fact that most of the funds come from nonlocal sources (federal taxes and user fees from DC, the other 49 states and US territories). What do they get out of their billion dollar investment? Furthermore, that contracts with private companies, obligating more than a billion dollars in federal funds, can be awarded without competition to private companies by local politicians (the "buddy" principle) adds insult to injury.
Purple Line
Montgomery County MD
Prince George's County MD
public private partnership
WMATA
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Marland Transit Administration (MTA)
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center
Gov. Hogan
TerpAlum
7/14/2015 4:05 PM EDT
What user fees from DC? It's not being run as part of Metro, which would include user fees from DC and VA.
peretired
5:55 AM EDT
User fees are just another term for taxes. Gas taxes and motor vehicle taxes and fees are sometimes referred to as user fees. They go into the Highway Trust Fund and are then used for highway and transit expenditures. Part of the gas taxes that everyone pays at the pump goes to projects like the Purple Line and the Silver Spring Transit Center.
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