Crony capitalism & the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership

Fairy Tale? - YouTube

ATTENTION

To: Montgomery County MD executive and council

The public doesn't get it--no thanks to you or to the news media.

When elected officials from a local jurisdiction, e.g. Montgomery County MD, pick their political cronies for government contracts, and taxpayers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and US territories "pick up the freight", e.g. Silver Spring Transit Center (53% federal funding), then you and your political cronies better perform perfectly. Clearly, such is not the case with the severely flawed, over-budget and overdue Silver Spring Transit Center.

Maybe some day the public will get it (no thanks to you or to the news media) and when a government contract given to a political crony(ies) results in a "monumental debacle", e.g. the Silver Spring Transit Center, then taxpayers from coast to coast will, like me, object loudly, clearly and in numbers. 

cc:
local Washington DC news media (print, TV, radio, internet) 
WMATA
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Parsons Brinckerhoff 
Foulger Pratt 
Balter Co. 

dedication plaque

Silver Spring Transit Center

aka Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

Silver Spring Transit Center 

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 

Montgomery County MD 

public-private partnership

crony capitalism 

WMATA 

Maryland Transit Administration 

Federal Transit Administration 

Gov. Hogan 
Purple Line 

There are no expansion joint covers, because there are no expansion joints; but, is there an expansion joint cover-up?

Documents suggest Aug. 23 opening, but Metro says transit hub not ready - The Washington Post

"...disarray..."? The pot is calling the kettle black.

More than two years ago Montgomery County made public KCE's March 15, 2013 report that documents serious design and construction flaws with the SSTC. Metro's May 2, 2013 report followed. Both reports are on Montgomery County's website. Has anyone "at the top" of Montgomery County read these reports? or the report summaries?

The cause of the cracking, the complete lack of expansion/contraction joints in the 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long SSTC, is in both reports. Both reports point out that Metro's design and construction standards require expansion/contraction joints be placed no farther apart than every 100 feet.

The question that neither report answers is how one retrofits expansion/contraction joints into a completed concrete building that has been designed and built with none. None of the many media reports over the past 2+ years addresses this either. Why? 

From October 2013:

"A representative for the general contractor for the SSTC, Foulger-Pratt, was described in media reports as saying that the SSTC is “like a tightly wound snare drum”. The problem with the “snare drum” analogy is that a tightly wound snare drum can be loosened, while a large concrete building without expansion joints cannot."

silver spring transit center: expansion joints, snare drum, slot test

From September 2014:

"One of the significant findings of KCE's report is that the SSTC doesn't have any expansion/contraction joints. Standard design and construction practice and WMATA design and construction standards require expansion/contraction joints in structures exposed to temperature changes. WMATA design and construction standards, to which the SSTC was supposed to have been designed and constructed, require expansion/contraction joints be spaced no more than 100 feet apart. The 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long SSTC has none."



Not long after KCE's report was released, Bryant Foulger of Foulger Pratt, the SSTC's builder/contractor, said that "the SSTC is like a tightly wound snare drum".

When the SSTC tries to expand or contract because of changes in temperature, hot or cold respectively, it can't, because it has no expansion/contraction joints. The monolithic, post-tensioned, concrete SSTC is like a tightly wound snare drum, and it cracks. Without expansion/contraction joints, the SSTC will continue to crack even after it's "fixed" with its"repairs required to increase the combined shear and torsional capacity of certain beams and girders" and its concrete overlay.

Nice analogy, Mr. Foulger! The only problem is that you can loosen a tightly wound snare drum; but, you can't loosen a 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long monolithic, post-tensioned, concrete structure that doesn't have any expansion/contraction joints. Without expansion/contraction joints, the SSTC will continue to crack, even after it's "repaired"

silver spring transit center: Silver Spring Transit Center: what about the columns?


Are the private engineering, contracting and inspection companies at fault? Is Metro at fault? Is Montgomery County at fault? Are the Maryland Transit Administration and the Federal Transit Administration at fault? Or, are they all at fault? 

Are the media, and the public, at fault for failing to ask the right questions? How many of the media reporting on this story for the past 2+ years, or the public who are paying for it, have read these reports (or the report summaries)?

After all of the delays, and public money spent, perhaps it's time for all involved to stop pointing the finger, posturing and evading the real questions.

An internet search of "parking garage expansion joints" yields many examples:

• http://www.emseal.com/Products/Architectural/Parking/ParkingDeckProductGuide.htm
• https://wbacorp.com/products/parking-sturctures-and-stadiums
• http://www.mmsystemscorp.com/ejp/
• etc.

Where are the Silver Spring Transit Center's expansion joints?

spinmeisters Leggett, Leventhal, Berliner, Dise, et al

Silver Spring Transit Center 

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 

Montgomery County MD 

public-private partnership 

WMATA 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 

Purple Line 

Gov. Hogan 

Poor ignorant Bob

Poor ignorant Bob. He just doesn't get it.

1. Design began in 2004; construction in 2008. The severe design, construction and inspection flaws became public in 2013.
2. It's Montgomery County's project. Montgomery County was owner of record until recently when they passed the SSTC to WMATA.
3. Design reviews, permits, construction, inspection, materials test reports, construction reviews, daily construction reports, etc. Montgomery County is responsible for all construction in the county. However, the SSTC is different--it's the County's own project.
4. Montgomery County was construction manager for the project with a team of full time county employees on site during construction.

Who was "minding the store" for Montgomery County? No expansion joints? One would think that with all of the people who handled the design and construction plans between 2004 and 2011 or so, when construction was essentially complete, that someone from Montgomery County, WMATA, the Maryland Transit Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Foulger Pratt or Balter Co. would have realized that the 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long SSTC doesn't have any expansion joints, especially since it's a WMATA requirement that expansion joints be spaced no farther apart than every 100 feet.

Not surprising, poor ignorant Bob missed the part where I said: "IMHO the Silver Spring Transit Center is as much about government officials not telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in statements to the news media that are intended for the public, as it is about construction."

All those who had meaningful roles on this project--design, design review, construction, construction review, construction inspection, project management, construction management, and government officials who have made inaccurate or incomplete public statements--should hang their heads in shame.

Finally, poor ignorant Bob shows his ignorance, and lack of class, by being an attack dog. Poor ignorant Bob, like Donald Trump, personally insults those who have opinions different than his. That's uncalled for, Ignorant Bob. Grow up. 

In the immortal words of George Bernard Shaw: "I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

Poor ignorant Bob & mentor Donald Trump

Silver Spring Transit Center 

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 

Montgomery County MD 

WMATA 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 

public-private partnership 

crony capitalism 

Purple Line 

Gov. Hogan 

Surprise!

Metro says Silver Spring Transit Center needs yet more repairs - The Washington Post

It's no surprise that the SSTC continues to crack. Two years ago when WMATA's engineers appeared before Montgomery County's council, WMATA's engineers told the council that the SSTC was going to be a maintenance and operations headache for decades. Roger Berliner accused WMATA of being disingenuous, reneging on their agreement, just as MoCo is doing now.

It's all in the executive summary of the May 2, 2013 report that WMATA commissioned, that's on MoCo's website. It says: "The evaluation indicated that significant design and construction deficiencies have resulted in a structure that will be unable to achieve the 50 year design service life specified in WMATA design requirements without significant repairs and a long-term maintenance program to address durability problems.

The evaluation indicated that the overall design of the SSTC was deficient due to the restrained nature of the structure and the inability of the structure to accommodate normal thermal movements. The restrained nature of the as-designed structure was a significant factor in the observed cracking at the structure." (NOTE: None of the "repairs" made to the SSTC during the past two years addresses this deficiency. The SSTC remains restrained and unable to accommodate normal thermal movements. Also, "repairs" made to date to the unopened SSTC do not address cracks in columns and girders.) 

The 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long Silver Spring Transit Center doesn't have any expansion/ contraction joints, despite the fact that WMATA design and construction standards call for an expansion/contraction joint to be located no more than every 100 feet apart.

"Significant construction deficiencies were also observed in the evaluation. The construction deficiencies include omission of post-tensioning tendons in the pour strips on Level 330, thin concrete slabs, extensive cracking on the elevated slab surfaces as a result of restrained shrinkage and finishing problems, exposed and low concrete cover to post-tensioning ducts at numerous locations, and low entrained air content in the top surface of elevated slabs.

The life cycle costs for repair and maintenance of the SSTC structure will be significantly increased as a result of the design and construction defects."

politicians Leggett, Leventhal, Berliner, Dise, et al

SURPRISE!

Silver Spring Transit Center 

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 

Montgomery County MD 

WMATA 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 

public-private partnership 

Purple Line 

Gov. Hogan 

Are you tired of paying for boondoggles?

Phil Andrews, Montgomery County MD councilman, called the Silver Spring Transit Center a "monumental debacle". I agree.  What I'm getting tired of is paying for other people's boondoggles, whether it's the Silver Spring Transit Center, the Purple Line, or, for that matter, any public-private partnership, anywhere.

Federal funding typically makes up the largest share of these public-private partnership boondoggles. That means that all of us pay--from all 50 states and US territories. 

Local politicians can reward their cronies with a sole-source government contract, and we all pay for their cronyism. It's not right. If politicians from Montgomery County MD, or any other jurisdiction, decide to non-competitively select their buddies for fat government contracts, instead of selecting private government contractors in open competition, then let the local jurisdiction pay 100% for the "monumental debacle" that results. It's only fair.

Stop fleecing US taxpayers with "monumental debacle" public private partnerships, like the Silver Spring Transit Center and the Purple Line.

Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County MD 
public-private partnership 
government spending 
government waste 
WMATA
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 
Purple Line 
Gov. Hogan 

another politician with $40 million burning a hole in his pocket

First it was Leventhal: Purple Line delays push opening date back a year - WTOP

Now it's Leggett: Montgomery agrees to pay $40 million more for Purple Line construction - The Washington Post

It's bad enough that these politicians wasted $40 million in repairs to one "monumental debacle" public-private partnership (Silver Spring Transit Center).

Now they want to burn the taxpayers for more wasted public money on another dubious public-private partnership (the Purple Line).

There's nothing worse than politicians with your money burning a hole in their pocket!

And, it's not just their own jurisdiction's $ that they're wasting. These wasteful public-private partnerships are funded by state and federal public funds too. Taxpayers from all 50 states and US territories are paying for these politicians' poor decisions. (MD taxpayers outside Montgomery and Prince George's Counties are getting hit twice!)

It's time for taxpayer fleecing to STOP!

Purple Line
Montgomery County MD
Prince George's County MD
public-private partnership
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
Gov. Hogan 
WMATA
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

WMATA, politics & the Silver Spring Transit Center

According to the Montgomery County Sentinel, WMATA will inspect the Silver Spring Transit Center on August 1. It should be interesting.

WMATA, like Montgomery County MD and the Silver Spring Transit Center, has problems of its own--abysmal safety and operations records (among other thing$) that speak for themselves.

Two years ago when WMATA's engineers were telling Montgomery County's council that the Silver Spring Transit Center's extensive concrete cracking will result in long term maintenance and operational problems, and high costs, Richard Sarles, WMATA's former general manager, was telling Roger Berliner and other MoCo council members not to worry--that WMATA will honor their "deal" to operate the transit center. What else would you expect from one politician dealing with other politicians?

The executive summary of a May 2, 2013 evaluation report for the Silver Spring Transit Center, commissioned by WMATA, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DGS-BDC/Resources/Files/SS/509974/WMATA-Report-on-Transit-Center-5-2-13.pdf, states:

"The evaluation indicated that significant design and construction deficiencies have resulted in a structure that will be unable to achieve the 50 year design service life specified in WMATA design requirements without significant repairs and a long-term maintenance program to address durability problems.

The evaluation indicated that the overall design of the SSTC was deficient due to the restrained nature of the structure and the inability of the structure to accommodate normal thermal movements. The restrained nature of the as-designed structure was a significant factor in the observed cracking at the structure. (NOTE: None of the "repairs" made to the SSTC during the past two years addresses this deficiency. The SSTC remains restrained and unable to accommodate normal thermal movements. Also, "repairs" made to date to the unopened SSTC do not address cracks in columns and girders.)

"Significant construction deficiencies were also observed in the evaluation. The construction deficiencies include omission of post-tensioning tendons in the pour strips on Level 330, thin concrete slabs, extensive cracking on the elevated slab surfaces as a result of restrained shrinkage and finishing problems, exposed and low concrete cover to post-tensioning ducts at numerous locations, and low entrained air content in the top surface of elevated slabs.

The life cycle costs for repair and maintenance of the SSTC structure will be significantly increased as a result of the design and construction defects."

So, there you have it--it should be interesting. 

Will WMATA's engineers prevail, or will politics prevail? 

I wouldn't bet on WMATA's engineers.

Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County MD 
WMATA
public-private partnership 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 
Purple Line
Gov. Hogan 

"monumental debacle" in waiting

Purple Line delays push opening date back a year - WTOP

$50 million burning a hole in a politician's pocket is a dangerous thing. Perhaps he should wait to see how much money that MoCo recovers from its private partners in its current public-private partnership "monumental debacle", the Silver Spring Transit Center (which has cost taxpayers close to or more than an additional $50 million), before he spends another $50 million on MoCo's next public-private partnership "monumental debacle in waiting" (Purple Line).

Some politicians, e.g. Montgomery County MD, think that $ grows on trees. 

Purple Line

Montgomery County MD

Prince George's County MD

public-private partnership

WMATA

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)

Silver Spring Transit Center

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

Gov. Hogan

the buddy principle

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/in-purple-line-rail-project-a-tale-of-two-counties/2015/07/14/919fc6d8-2677-11e5-aae2-6c4f59b050aa_story.html

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.

Public-private partnerships

Regional Memo: Hogan’s Purple Line choice could paint him as ideologue - The Washington Post

Then there's always the possibility that Gov. Hogan is right, even if it's for the wrong reason. Why should federal, state and local $ be spent on the Purple Line public-private partnership when the public doesn't know why the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership went so poorly? We know that the SSTC is a "monumental debacle"; but, we don't know why it's such a "monumental debacle". We know that Montgomery County chose private builder Foulger Pratt, private engineer Parsons Brinckerhoff and private inspector Balter Co. non-competitively, while private companies are selected competitively for most public works projects; but, we don't know why Montgomery County selected them. Shouldn't we? After all, whether the Silver Spring Transit Center had cost $20 million (which is what the County executive told the public 20 years ago, along with it being open in 1998) or it ends up costing $200 million, wasting public funds (federal, state & local) is wasting public funds. It's the same for the Purple Line--whether it costs $2.45 billion or $1.45 billion (which would be 10 times what the "monumental debacle" SSTC has cost the public to date), wasting public funds is wasting public funds. ... Do the right thing, Gov. Hogan, even if it's for the "wrong" reason. Hold off on approving the Purple Line public-private partnership until we know why the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership turned out to be such a "monumental debacle".

Will Gov. Hogan be branded an ideologue for doing the right thing (even if it's for the "wrong" reason)? Or will his legacy be that of just another politician who reneges on his campaign promises?

Time will tell.

*******************************************************************

Md. transportation chief reportedly backs Purple Line if cost is lowered - The Washington Post

"Regardless of how many billions of $ that the public-private partnership Purple Line costs, it shouldn't be approved until taxpayers get some answers on the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership. For example, why did Montgomery County non-competitively choose private builder Foulger Pratt, private engineer Parsons Brinckerhoff and private inspector Balter Co. to provide services for the SSTC, when private companies are selected competitively for most public works projects? Wasting public funds (federal, state & local) is wasting public funds, whether it's in the tens of millions or billions."

*****************************************************************************

The Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership is a "monumental debacle". Will the Purple Line public-private partnership be the the next public-private partnership debacle? If so, the Purple Line debacle will cost taxpayers a LOT more. 

The Silver Spring Transit Center is severely flawed and grossly overdue and overbudget. Twenty years ago Montgomery County MD's county executive said that the SSTC would cost taxpayers $20 million, and be complete in 1998. At this point the price tag exceeds $140 million, and the Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center still hasn't opened for business. 

The projected cost for the Purple Line public-private partnership is $2.45 BILLION! Talk about an expensive mistake for taxpayers! And, what's our excuse? There is none! --not with the lessons from the unfinished Silver Spring Transit Center "monumental debacle" staring at us!

Silver Spring Transit Center Offers Lessons for Purple Line | Montgomery County Republican Party

"So what transportation design firm was responsible for the Silver Spring Transit Center’s flawed design, especially the failure to require the necessary extra support? Parsons Brinckerhoff.

(IMHO, even greater than Parsons Brinckerhoff's failure to design beams to withstand all design forces, i.e. torsion, is Parsons Brinckerhoff's failure to provide for any expansion joints. WMATA design and construction standards require expansion joints to be located no farther apart than every 100 feet. The 315 ft. wide by 580 ft. long SSTC has none! Of course slabs, beams, girders and columns are cracked!!! What else would you expect?!? I expect the concrete to keep cracking in the future, making the SSTC a costly operational and maintenance nightmare--not to mention safety concerns!)

And what engineering firm did the state contract with to furnish for ridership and other financial projections being used to justify the construction of Purple Line? Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Earlier this year, the state’s Office of Legislative Audits found that Maryland Transit Administration had failed to verify the accuracy of millions of dollars in contractor-submitted architectural and engineering costs for the Red and Purple light rail lines. And which company is a lead part of a joint venture team handling both engineering for the Red Line and program management for the Purple Line? Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The Purple Line’s proponents’ very rosy estimates of 69,000 daily trips deserve considerable scrutiny. Transit ridership is a function of population and job densities. New Jersey’s Hudson-Bergen light rail, for example, serves an area that has four times the population density of the Purple Line and a job center with 123,000 jobs, far more than any point on the Purple Line. Yet the Hudson-Bergen line carries only 44,000 trips a day.

Even at the 69,000 traffic projections, the overwhelming majority of projected Purple Line riders already use other mass transit. In fact, given light rail’s slow speed and uncertain fare box requirements, existing transit connections may remain the preferable alternative for transit riders. Should the ridership projections fall short, billions could be spent without any increase of mass transit ridership.

So when County Executive Ike Leggett meets Maryland Transportation Secretary Rahn, one question worth asking is, “County Executive, based on your past experience with Parsons Brinckerhoff, just how much confident should we be in their Purple Line projections?”

Hmmmmm... interesting... nice reporting! (better than the news media--print, TV, radio, internet--who have been reporting on this story for more than two years!) 

What else (besides Parsons Brinckerhoff) does the Purple Line have in common with the "monumental disaster" Silver Spring Transit Center? They're BOTH public-private partnerships. In BOTH public-private partnerships private firm Parsons Brinckerhoff was selected non-competitively to provide their services, while, for most public works projects, private firms are selected in open competition with other private firms for their services. Hmmmmm...  Are these public-private partners (Parsons Brinckerhoff and MD state and local government) too cozy? From the other "public" perspective (taxpayers), it appears that they are.

Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center
Montgomery County MD
public-private partnership
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
WMATA
Purple Line
Gov. Hogan

Hired guns

Firm with national, local ties elevates Silver Spring Transit

Hired guns

Silver Spring Transit Center

Montgomery County, MD

Silver Spring Transit Center 

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

public-private partnership 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)

WMATA