The following Letter to the Editor, written by Mayor Kathy Strom, was published in the Washington Post on September 15, 2014:
"The Sept. 12 Metro article “$56 million added to estimated cost of building Purple Line” unfortunately came as no surprise because costs on the proposed light rail project have jumped by more than $1.4 billion already.
What’s more alarming, however, is Maryland Transit Administration’s blatant disregard for costs and obfuscation of the Purple Line’s ultimate price tag. Not only do MTA officials consider $56 million a “minor adjustment,” but they also admit that costs will continue to spiral upward as if this is something normal that we should all accept. Worse yet is the assertion that we’ll know what the true costs will be only after a private developer is picked. And make no mistake, no private developer will sign on to this project unless it knows that taxpayers — not the company — will eat the loss of a failed transportation venture.
As Purple Line costs continue to rise, all taxpayers should object to this project, which is nothing more than a financial black hole."
Kathy Strom, Chevy Chase