The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (Metro’s) general manager and CEO Randy Clarke proposed a budget to the transit agency’s board of directors that focuses on bus and rail improvements without raising fares.
Clarke said his proposed budget would make bus and rail operations more efficient through schedule optimization and by adding additional capacity to address emerging crowding. The plan calls for shorter weekday wait times on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines, with reduced wait times on the Red Line at night, and a 15 percent increase in bus service routes across the region.
“Metro ridership has grown in recent years, and we want to continue to meet that demand for the region,” Clarke said. “This proposal reflects our commitment to delivering safe, frequent, and reliable service, while preparing Metro for the potential long-term capital challenges ahead.”
The budget proposal includes a multi-year budget and service plan for the first time. Clarke said the inclusion of the service plan will incentivize better planning and predictability for Metro and its regional partners.
Under the proposed plan, bus service would see shorter wait times on nine high-ridership routes, route enhancements on five routes, longer hours of service on four routes and the potential for two new limited-stop routes in Northern Virginia. The rail service would have better all-day and late-night service under the proposed budget plan with trains running every 3 to 6 minutes in the city core, and every 6 to 10 minutes in other parts of the system on weekdays. After 9:30 p.m., trains would run every 4 to 8 minutes in the core.
The proposed budget also includes a Capital Program proposal that would include a significantly constrained capital program that assumes no new regional DMVMoves investment. Under this scenario, Metro would reduce capital spending and defer projects that could lead to a decline in reliability and an increase in safety risk, or an additional $460 million regional investment for the regional DMVMoves endorsement which is calling for Metro to modernize its bus and rail system.
The board will vote on the proposed budget during a hearing at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3 at the Arlington County Board Room.