An article in the Washington Post indicated that staff in the Metro's planning and architecture group will be cut over the next six years to 10% of its current level. You read that right, not cut by 10%, but cut to 10%.

It appears that plans to expand the public transportation system have largely been destroyed by deprioritization of the programs and lack of funding.

Unfortunately for those in the Northern Virginia area, this means that we are unlikely to see the extension of Metro service to places like Reston and Dulles International Airport any time soon.

Partially to blame is a shift in philosophy toward roads instead of rail and on transit between the Maryland and Virginia suburbs instead of between the suburbs and DC.

According to the article, within two years, the capacity to plan, start, and manage significant building projects will be gone, along with the prospects for an outer loop line (connecting the suburbs and encircling the city), as well as the Tysons/Dulles corridor system.