Just Don’t Talk Cost, Ever

Raytheon wouldn’t be silly enough to try and sell its self-docking Superbuses anywhere else on the planet, but here I fear it’s got a real chance. Noone seems to care about cost. Or even know about cost. It is easier get cost data on projects in Santiago Chile, Fort Bend Texas, the Lake of the Ozarks MO or Japan than in Washington DC. And I live and work here. How much does the $12b Washington Metrorail system cost to run? It would take a Woodward and Bernstein to find out. They don’t publish any data. Won’t give it to you. Similarly the past two decades Maryland has gone rail crazy but the Maryland Mass Transit Admin hasn’t published any annual accounts on its commuter rail, its light rail or heavy for over 10 years. The director of communications Chuck Brown told me recently they are working on it and hope to have some accounts “next year.” I could swear he, or someone else there, gave me that same “next year” malarkey about 3 years ago.