Author: Elena Sorokina

Supporters to Lawmakers: Give Metro More Money

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

ANNAPOLIS — Metro, union, nonprofit and business leaders all spoke in one accord Tuesday, urging Maryland lawmakers to give second-busiest transit agency in the nation more money.

Delegate Maggie McIntosh of Baltimore City, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said she didn’t receive one letter in opposition.

“It does show what can be accomplished when you work together and you communicate,” said Jackie Jeter, president of the Amalgamted Transit Union Local 689, Metro’s largest union. “That’s the crux of this. When we are all in favor of something, we can all come together.”

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has said the agency needs at least $500 million next fiscal year to improve safety and reliability.

The legislation, sponsored by Delegate Marc Korman of Montgomery County, proposes at least $125 million comes from the state’s transportation trust fund toward capital cost for Metro. The main contingent stems from officials from Virginia and D.C. also approving money toward Metro.

The fourth party, the federal government, released a proposed $4.4 trillion budget Monday that proposes to decrease its $150 million portion for Metro to $120 million.

Metro supporters are leery of the Trump administration’s belief in mass transit and suggest Maryland lawmakers put up $167 million, a three-way split between Virginia and D.C.

The agency currently doesn’t receive dedicated funding.

“I am beyond disappointed that the Trump administration chose to cut funding for Metro in its [fiscal] 2019 budget,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia) said in a statement. “Especially at a time when most of our area delegation is fighting for the federal government to double its contribution and pay its fair share for the transit system that delivers more than 100,000 federal employees to work each day.”

During Tuesday’s hearing in Annapolis, a couple of Republican delegates asked why not requests a sales tax for businesses who open near Metro. ATU Local 689 presented a similar plan last year.

Delegate Jeff Ghrist, a Republican who represents portions of Western Maryland, said motorists in his jurisdiction shouldn’t pay for mass transit, especially since they rarely use it, if at all.

“Would you guys support a specialized tax dedicated to improving mass transit?” he said to a group testifying.

“Our position today is we take care of [Metro],” said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of Coalition for Smarter Growth in northeast D.C. “It’s up to the policy makers to figure out the mechanism to do that. We’re saying it’s urgent to do that.”

Sen. Brian Feldman of Montgomery County will present a companion bill Wednesday before the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee. Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III will be among those scheduled to testify in support of more funding to Metro.

Click here to read the original story.

RELEASE: MetroNow Coalition Calls on Trump Administration and DC, MD, and VA Delegations to Maintain Critical Metro Funding in FY 2019 Budget

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

Washington, D.C.— The MetroNow Coalition, a group of businesses and non-profit advocacy groups calling for immediate reforms to Metro governance, funding, and operations, made the following statement in response to reports that the Trump Administration’s FY 2019 budget will not include an expected $150 million in Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) funds:

“The MetroNow Coalition is deeply concerned by reports this morning that the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget does not contain $150 million in critical capital funding for Metro through the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA).  Maintaining this funding, long believed by Metro officials and regional leaders to be assured by law, is crucial to continued progress to improve the state of repair for our system, and MetroNow’s goal of accomplishing long-term funding and governance reform this year.

With 35 Metrorail stations serving federal government facilities, and with federal employees comprising 39% of Metrorail’s peak period commuters, Metro’s health greatly affects the efficiency and effectiveness of our federal government. MetroNow is working with a bipartisan coalition of leaders in the MD and VA’s General Assemblies and DC’s City Council who are responding to the urgent imperative to provide additional funds for Metro’s capital and maintenance backlog, and to make governance reforms that improves accountability and outcomes from the needed investment. Leaders are setting politics aside and working together because Metro powers our economy and enables a high-quality of life for our residents, including the federal workforce.

MetroNow calls upon our Federal delegation to unite as a team to secure $150 million in the FY2019 budget, and work effectively together in a bipartisan manner to secure a long-term solution and expansion to federal authorization of WMATA’s capital program, federal assistance on operating costs, and needed governance reforms. Our region’s businesses, residents and elected officials are stepping forward to make critical investments and governance reforms this year, and we call for similar coordination and advocacy from our federal Members of Congress to maintain momentum and forward progress to return the transit system to a world leading position that drives our region’s prosperity. ”

###

About MetroNow Coalition

The MetroNow Coalition is a group of regional leaders from organizations representing businesses and non-profit advocates who have come together to ensure that action is taken to put Metro – a vital component of Greater Washington’s transportation infrastructure – on a safe, smart and sustainable path forward in 2018 and beyond. We are dedicated to securing comprehensive improvement of Metro’s governance, funding and operational structures in 2018.

 

RELEASE: MetroNow Coalition Commends Maryland State Senator Feldman, Delegates Korman and Barron on Introduction of Metro Reform Bills

RELEASE: MetroNow Coalition Commends Maryland State Senator Feldman, Delegates Korman and Barron on Introduction of Metro Reform Bills

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2018

Contact
Clare Flannery, MDB Communications
cflannery@mdbcomm.com
202-969-3332

MetroNow Coalition Commends Maryland State Senator Feldman, Delegates Korman and Barron on Introduction of Metro Reform Bills

Annapolis, Md.— The MetroNow Coalition, a group of businesses and advocacy groups calling for immediate reforms to Metro governance, funding, and operations, made the following statement in response to a bill introduced yesterday regarding Maryland’s commitment to Metro:

“The coalition applauds Maryland State Senator Brian Feldman, Delegate Marc Korman, and Delegate Erek Barron on the introduction of The Maryland Metro Funding Act and The Metro Board Member Act.

“These bills are a positive step forward in the effort to secure Maryland’s commitment to the long-term funding and governance reforms Metro requires and the Coalition is working to ensure are enacted in 2018. We urge leaders in Annapolis to move quickly to build on this important first step on the road to enacting comprehensive reform to WMATA’s funding and governing structures.

“This is particularly urgent in light of Amazon’s announcement of its HQ2 shortlist yesterday, which included three sites in the Greater Washington metropolitan area: Montgomery County, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. Amazon has stated that direct access to world class public transit is among the top criteria they will consider. Immediate action to begin reforming Metro would send a clear message to Amazon that the region is fully behind its HQ2 expansion, and prevent Metro from becoming a net negative for the Greater Washington region’s competitiveness.

“The Greater Washington region requires Metro to be capable of delivering safe, reliable, and frequent service for our continued prosperity and quality of life. Simply put, Metro is essential to our region’s prosperity across the board – from individual riders who rely on the system every day, to attracting and keeping major economic engines like Amazon.”

The MetroNow Coalition looks forward to working with Senators Feldman, Delegates Korman, Barron, Governor Hogan and legislative leaders in Annapolis to ensure that immediate action is taken during the 2018 legislative sessions to provide Metro with the long-term funding and governance reforms that are long overdue.

Below is the press release put out by Delegate Korman’s office in regards to the bill introduction:

 

For Immediate Release
January 19, 2018

Contact: Sean Emerson
(301) 858-3649
Marc.Korman@house.state.md.us

MARYLAND LEGISLATORS PROPOSE DEDICATED FUNDING AND

GOVERNANCE REFORM FOR METRO

Bills will provide permanent, bondable dedicated funding source for Metro and add the Maryland Transportation Secretary To the Metro Board

Senator Brian Feldman, Delegate Marc Korman, and Delegate Erek Barron introduced legislation this week to provide a permanent, bondable funding source for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA or Metro) and reform Maryland’s appointments to the Metro Board of Directors.

The Maryland Metro Funding Act builds on Governor Hogan’s proposal to provide an additional $125 million in capital funding to Metro over the next four years, instead making the additional funds a permanent annual allocation from a new account within the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund. In addition, the bill indexes the state’s current capital funding contribution to Metro at 3% to ensure that the state’s allocation to Metro increases at the rate of inflation. Enactment of the Maryland Metro Funding Act is contingent on D.C. and Virginia establishing their own dedicated, bondable funding sources totaling at least $125 million respectively to match Maryland’s potential contribution.

The Metro Board Member Act would make one of Maryland’s voting members on the Metro Board of Directors the state’s Transportation Secretary or their designee. The state’s other voting board member would shift between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Adding the Transportation Secretary to the Board would put in place an individual with knowledge, staff, and resources to provide improved oversight of Metro. The District of Columbia already puts their Director of Transportation on the Board.

“Metro is a necessity for our area – an essential component for attracting new business and growing our regional economy. Given that Montgomery County is a finalist for Amazon’s new headquarters and that one of their selection criteria is access to safe and reliable public transportation, funding for Metro is more critical than ever.” said Senator Brian Feldman, who is introducing the legislation in the Maryland Senate.

“Metro is critical to our state’s transportation network and economic success. As a daily rider during the nine months a year that the legislature is not in session and with five Red Line stations in my district, I know its importance and want to see it succeed. To move Metro in a more positive direction requires both funding and reform,” said Delegate Marc Korman, the lead sponsor of the legislation in the House of Delegates and co-founder of the General Assembly’s Metro Work Group.

“A strong public transit system is key to our region’s economic development and job growth success. We are committed to ensuring Metro is safe, reliable, efficient and sufficiently funded.” remarked Delegate Erek Barron, also co-founder of the General Assembly’s Metro Work Group.

Establishing a dedicated funding source for Metro has been a need since the tri-jurisdictional agency’s formation in 1967. Reforms to the Metro Board will ensure those funds are spent appropriately. The issue is of significance to the entire state, as estimates show that that there are over 30,000 daily riders of Metrorail alone from Maryland jurisdictions other than Montgomery or Prince George’s counties. Metro is an invaluable part of the state’s economy. With the introduction of these pieces of legislation, Maryland is a step closer to ensuring that this critical asset is well maintained and reliable into the future.

###

About MetroNow Coalition

The MetroNow Coalition is a group of regional leaders from organizations representing businesses and non-profit advocates who have come together to ensure that action is taken to put Metro – the backbone of Greater Washington’s transportation infrastructure – on a safe, smart and sustainable path forward in 2018 and beyond. We are dedicated to securing comprehensive improvement of Metro’s governance, funding and operational structures in 2018.

In October, Coalition members commissioned an online survey of 621 registered voters in the District, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia, finding that 94 percent of respondents agreed that the Metro system is valuable to the greater Washington region. In the survey, 70 percent also supported an increase in public funding to improve the Metro system, and 90 percent agreed that without an effective governance structure, the Metro system can never reach its full potential.