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Maryland board approves $5.6 billion Purple Line contract (16 miles @ $350M/mile)
Washington Post ^ | April 6, 2016 at 8:05 PM | Katherine Shaver

Posted on 04/06/2016 6:26:47 PM PDT by Olog-hai

A Maryland board approved a $5.6 billion contract Wednesday for a team of companies to build and operate a light-rail Purple Line that state officials say will rejuvenate older communities and transform a 16-mile swath of the Washington suburbs.

The 876-page agreement — believed to be the most expensive government contract ever in Maryland — forms one of the largest public-private partnerships on a U.S. transportation project and will result in the first major light-rail line in the nation’s capital in years. […]

Compared with Metro trains, Purple Line light-rail trains will be shorter, carry a maximum of 300 passengers and travel more slowly. They will be powered by overhead electrical lines and run above ground, mostly in their own lanes on local streets between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. …

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Miscellaneous; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: bethesda; bigdig; freakstate; lightrail; purpleline
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Well, Hogan sure outdid Jerry Brown and California HSR in per-mile costs. By about 350 percent.
1 posted on 04/06/2016 6:26:47 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Let me guess, it’s all to be paid for with Gas Tax dollars.

Then they’ll tell the public they don’t take in enough gas taxes to support highway upkeep.

A—holes!


2 posted on 04/06/2016 6:29:00 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: Olog-hai

Dependable transportation to move skid row criminals to the suburbs.

For better pickings.


3 posted on 04/06/2016 6:29:22 PM PDT by headstamp 2 (Fear is the mind killer.)
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To: Olog-hai
state officials say will rejuvenate older communities and transform a 16-mile swath of the Washington suburbs.

Providing faster and more comfortable transportation to and from target rich areas for muggers and rapers.


4 posted on 04/06/2016 6:35:45 PM PDT by Iron Munro (Noah: 'When the animals began to pair up by specie and stand in line, I really took notice.')
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To: Olog-hai

19th century technology to the rescue.


5 posted on 04/06/2016 6:41:38 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: Olog-hai

What's old is new again.

6 posted on 04/06/2016 6:42:28 PM PDT by MrBambaLaMamba (Obama - "I will stand with the Muslims")
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To: eyeamok

Rudolf Diesel filed his first patent in 1894.

The big problem is government doing what the private sector ought to be allowed to.


7 posted on 04/06/2016 6:45:37 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

I’m sure it’ll be a total flop.

What makes the price even more ridiculous is that there aren’t any tunnels. It’s low speed too. Should be able to do it for a fraction.

Also no parking lots at stations, so don’t expect much actual use. No real reason for someone to jump from metro to a slower line. Driving would probably be half time.


8 posted on 04/06/2016 6:54:21 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: fruser1

Projects like this have been done for $10 million per mile or less. $350 million per mile is more than enough to build the whole thing underground. But to be frank, there is no pressing need for any rail line that runs between Bethesda and New Carrollton no matter the cost.


9 posted on 04/06/2016 6:58:54 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: MrBambaLaMamba
At least they were a private company until 1969.

Nowadays Sun Tran operations are subcontracted to Connex Veolia Transdev, the French crony company that reorganized three times thus far.
10 posted on 04/06/2016 7:02:14 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai
$5.6 billion is just the starting point. Unless it's a firm fixed price contract, look for the price to at least triple before the first train rolls.

Pay offs to unions, environmentalists, politicians, community organizations, and other assorted "stakeholders" ain't cheap.

11 posted on 04/06/2016 7:54:17 PM PDT by rllngrk33 (Things will continue getting worse until at least January 2017.)
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To: rllngrk33

It’s already the most expensive of its kind, but I fully expect something like that to transpire.


12 posted on 04/06/2016 8:14:11 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai
maryland remains THE Freak state. Escape while you can. It is hopeless there.
13 posted on 04/06/2016 8:23:56 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?.)
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To: Olog-hai

Any guesses when the break even would occur? I would say around 2212.


14 posted on 04/06/2016 8:30:03 PM PDT by phormer phrog phlyer
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To: fruser1

At that price, it should be 90% tunnels.


15 posted on 04/06/2016 9:24:55 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Olog-hai

It is only $5524 per inch!


16 posted on 04/07/2016 3:02:40 AM PDT by Mark was here ("The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam" - Obama.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I’ve heard that the cost of some of the stations will be in the nine-figure range. Utter madness.


17 posted on 04/07/2016 9:06:26 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Perfect for corrupt construction business.


18 posted on 04/07/2016 2:13:28 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Olog-hai; Abundy; Albion Wilde; AlwaysFree; AnnaSASsyFR; bayliving; BFM; Bigg Red; ...

So, will Maryland really pay only around $100 million into this project?

Maryland “Freak State” PING!


19 posted on 04/07/2016 9:02:30 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Stick a fork in America; she's done.)
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To: Olog-hai

I’m no mathmagician, but at 59000 riders a day times 25 years times $2 per ride fare, that comes out to $1,084,050,000 in revenue vs a cost of $5,600,000,000.

By Federal law, light rail cars have a maximum usable lifespan of 25 years and must be replaced.

I assume the $5.6bb cost does not include operation and maintenance costs.

Actual cost is $5.16 per ride assuming full ridership 265 days a year from day one.

I’m disappointed in Hogan. Franchot seems to show occasional flashes of sanity, but his comment that millenials will flock to Maryland to ride the trains is the height of liberal insanity.


20 posted on 04/08/2016 5:12:47 AM PDT by cyclotic (Liberalism is what smart looks like to stupid people.)
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