Bus Drivers Drive as Politicians Dither (and Spend)

The American economy’s current vulnerable state has prompted many people and businsses to trim expenses, but governments seem to be doing precisely the opposite. In today’s Washington Examiner, columnist Barbara Hollingsworth notes the cost ineffectiveness of extending Metro rail service out to Dulles Airport.

A study by the Washington Council of Governments determined that just one in 200 air passengers will ride Dulles Rail to its final destination, with the airport station projected to have the lowest head count of all 75 Metro stations — including the all-but-deserted one at Arlington Cemetery.

And yet the project refuses to die, propped up by state and local government officials, as well as private parties with government connections. Yet while politicians have been debating how to push this boondoggle, private enterprise has been providing affordable, comfortable mass transit to Dulles passengers for years.  I’ve used the Washington Flyer bus service many times, and have found it quite satisfactory. Best of all, it is paid for only by those who ride it.