McAuliffe described the idea as “goofy, naive political theater,” then added, “if the board had that thought process, maybe they should have done this five years ago, or 10 years ago?”

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The construction of the Silver Line’s new stations in Northern Virginia followed many years of discussion, planning and engineering in which Metro officials were deeply involved. The opening of the first phase, with five new stations in Fairfax County, stressed the entire Metro system, but leaders of the transit authority, including the board, had repeatedly endorsed inclusion of the new service as part of Metrorail.

The second phase of construction, which will extend the Silver Line west into Loudoun County, is well underway, and the new segment is scheduled to open in 2020. Meanwhile, the Metro Board is trying to cope with the effects of declining passenger revenue and increased costs of maintaining the rail system. The board would like to ensure a steady flow of money to support Metro operations, but members disagree about exactly to how to create it. Hence proposals like Price’s to pressure the Virginia governments that support Metro into coming up with more money.

“This is my point about the board,” McAuliffe continued. “It is a joke, plain and simple. Why are you wasting time on ridiculous political theater? We have serious issues to deal with.”

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McAuliffe’s recommendation was for the board members to confer with Paul J. Wiedefeld, who is marking his first anniversary Wednesday as Metro general manager. “Let’s figure out the operations issues that still exist. . . . Come to me with a comprehensive, long-term plan. Tell me what the cost is going to be. I will be your greatest advocate.”

But McAuliffe wasn’t ready to let the board members get up off the canvas.

“It has been the negligence, I would say, of the board and governance that’s gone on for years and years and years” that’s behind today’s problems at Metro. “All these defects we’ve found with the system that required Safetrack . . . didn’t come up in the last 12 months. People sat on their hands. Now everyone’s trying to point fingers.”