You may know that Metro has selected Washington Group International as the “design/build” contractor for the Phase 2 light rail expansion. Back in 2006, WGI submitted a proposal to Metro that suggested (among many other hair-raising things) Metro sell the Main Street Rail Line, then lease back the line and all related facilities (page 10 of the pdf file). Metro would use the revenue generated from the sale to fund a portion of the Phase 2 rail expansion.
Nice!
Taxpayers have already paid for the Main Street Line, and if this proposal were to be enacted, taxpayers would get to pay for the line again, through a lease-back.
We don’t know if this proposal is being considered, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it is. This idea would be right up Frank “Procurement Disaster” Wilson’s alley.
Big thanks to Tom Bazan and Ted Richardson for their continued work at shining a light on things Metro would rather keep in the dark.
