It’s another episode of, “These are the people we want running health care?” WJLA in Washington, D.C. reported this week that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, better known as Metro, has spent $3.8 million on two bike racks that aren’t even finished yet.

.@wmata has spent $3.8 million and taken five years to build two unfinished bike racks, at the East Falls Church and Vienna Metro stations. The projects were supposed to be completed in December 2015 but remain unfinished in 2020. ?: https://t.co/3K0WAHqZzb pic.twitter.com/HXnlQVGLkZ — ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) February 13, 2020

Sam Sweeney reports:

Metro has spent $3.8 million and taken five years to build two unfinished bike racks – at East Falls Church and Vienna Metro Stations. WMATA originally budgeted $600,000 for each rack, but the price tag has soared to $1.9 million each. The covered bike shelters will house 92 bikes, putting the price tag at more than $20,000 per bike. Future costs to finish the projects could raise that number even higher. The projects were supposed to be completed in December of 2015 but remain unfinished in 2020.

Apparently there have been some problems with contractors, with Metro explaining, “Quality control issues with contractors can take time to sort out, but Metro determined it was more important to get the project done right rather than get it done quickly.”

Metro has spent $3.8 million and 5 years building 2 bike racks. They're still unfinished. https://t.co/6QVoCiNHwK — Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) February 14, 2020

But govt is gonna be cost effective and efficient when they take over healthcare with M4A. ? — Joe (@JoeC1776) February 14, 2020

They’re from the government. They’re there to help themselves. — Guitarish (@DavidInFlalala) February 14, 2020

Someone got paid under the table for that Cycling Taj Mahal. — Big Apple Infidel ? (@BigAppleInfidel) February 14, 2020

shoo…I'll build twice that many bike racks for half the money in half the time — DigintheCrates (@ChiSportsHomer) February 14, 2020

Might've been cheaper to just direct cyclists to leave their bikes, unlocked, in a pile here, with an insurance policy that would replace each person's stolen bike no more than 20 times. — User #572 (@stadler) February 14, 2020

This holds 18 bikes, costs $4,700, & can be installed in a day.https://t.co/Dodr0GZqlf — Brian Lindquist (@brian_lindquist) February 14, 2020

Yes but there is no opportunity for graft & corruption if they buy these. The bureaucrats can’t exist with bribes and kickbacks, particularly in DC. It’s ironic that DC is called a swamp because it was literally built in a swamp at its inception. — Charles Witt (@ctwittnc) February 14, 2020

So it’s ahead of schedule and under budget, I see. — CatrionaMDW (@CatrionaMDW) February 14, 2020

My God. This is actually real, isn’t it. Disgusting. — Hippity Doo Da (@HippityD) February 14, 2020

This is absurd. I think someone at @wmata needs to be held accountable (Fired). By comparison – The Pentagon was built brick by brick in just 16 months using less technology than we have today. This bike rack should've been done in a week. — Tim (@MotleyDiver) February 12, 2020

They will laugh in your face with GLEE if you challenge them on it. You can't fire them, you can't discipline them, you can only pay them MORE. — Spicoley (@MoonshineDlight) February 12, 2020

In fairness, Sam, we have had to reevaluate designs multiple times to stay up to date on the latest developments in bike rack technology. It IS 2020, after all. — Mister Metro (@MisterDCMetro) February 13, 2020

Woah woah woah. We need a study to find out why this is taking so long. Then perhaps a study to analyze the data from the first study on why it is taking so long. That way they can learn from their lesson on procrastination… — Bobby (@BobbyManderson) February 12, 2020

I’ve walked past this atrocity every work day since they started it ?what a shitshow of incompetence — Jrodfoo (@jrodfoo) February 14, 2020

It’s a bargain compared to California’s infamous high-speed train to nowhere.

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