Metro’s annual public budget hearings are coming up! It’s crucial that we all take action to support more funding for Metro.
Category: Regional and Federal
RELEASE: Close the Metro Funding Gap!
Today, the WMATA Board met to review a new FY25 proposed budget. The “Fund Metro!” coalition released the following statement.
RELEASE: 18 Group Statement re Metro: Close the Gap!
We thank the jurisdictions for proposing $480 million in additional funding for each of the next two years to help close WMATA’s FY25 and FY26 operating gap. But we urge our elected leaders to do more to reduce and even close the entire gap. Failure to close the entire gap will still mean some service cuts, fare hikes, impact on the workforce, and delays in the capital program.
TAKE ACTION: Support Metro funding – email your elected officials!
Metro and other transit funding should be a top regional priority, and the region has just a short time to identify the funding. Here’s how YOU can take action to support the funding Metro needs.
CSG Remarks to NoVa Legislative Delegation in support of Metro Funding
Given the value of Metro to Virginia, and the staffing concerns that the GM just highlighted – we hold out hope for a level of funding that will avoid service cuts, while minimizing fare increases, and minimizing the – less-than-ideal – shifting of preventative maintenance funds to operating needs.
WMATA Fact Sheet on Cost Savings & Comparisons to Other Agencies
From FY18-24, Metro cut administrative costs by $308M through healthcare cost-sharing, maximizing real estate assets, office consolidation, position eliminations, and reducing the non-revenue fleet.
Release: CSG Applauds Re-Introduction of the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act; Urges Congress To Act
Recently, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA) introduced the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act. The bill will help fund transit operations costs, including here in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In response, Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, issued the following statement.
Comments on TPB’s January 2024 meeting
On your agenda today are two items where you can make more progress and ensure that you are meeting the very laudable commitments that you set. I will note another item on the agenda is the resilience work that TPB is doing which has been really outstanding and we look forward to seeing more of the results.
RELEASE: Visualize 2050 public comments (Dec 2023)
“According to the TPB staff summary, the ‘overarching themes’ of the almost 1,000 comments submitted by the public on proposed regional transportation projects were ‘strong positive sentiment’ toward rail, bus, walking and biking projects and ‘strong negative sentiment towards roadway widening and expansion projects.’ We’ve seen this pattern over the years on various TPB plans, with the public repeatedly calling for a shift in spending priorities to emphasize walking, biking, transit and investments to meet safety and climate goals,” said Bill Pugh, AICP, Senior Policy Fellow for CSG.
TAKE ACTION: Say NO to the Metro death spiral!
Maryland Governor Moore recently committed an additional $150 million. Now, DC and Virginia must make a commitment as well. And we need even higher contributions from all three jurisdictions so Metro can avoid shifting capital repair funds towards operating costs.