WASHINGTON — With a $750 million budget shortfall looming, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority budget will be presented Thursday, a proposal that would include salary and wage freezes for all employees, the elimination of nearly half of Metrobus lines and a 20% increase in fares and parking rates.
The large budget gap has been a looming issue for WMATA officials for months. In June, one agency official described the possible future of Metro as a "death spiral for transit," in light of the looming $750 million budget shortfall - nearly 30% of its overall budget starting the summer of 2024.
In addition to the proposed salary and wage freezes, in the new budget no one would be eligible for a raise unless there is a contract agreement, and 2,286 full-time jobs would be cut.
WMATA workers are not the only ones who would take a hit, riders may soon see longer wait times in addition to increased fees. Some of those impacts include:
- 67 of 135 Metrobus lines would be eliminated and service on 41 lines would be reduced.
- 33% of bus service would be cut in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Metro train would close by 10 p.m. seven days a week
- 10 out of 98 stations would close
- Wait times would increase to 15 minutes on weekdays and 20 minutes on weekends on certain lines (currently there are 6-minute wait times during the week)
- Bus fare increases from $2 to $2.40
- Rail prices will range from $2.40 to $7.20 (previously $2-$6)
- All other fares would increase by 20%
The proposal would mean Metro access service would be scaled back, leaving an estimated 9,000 customers without service.
WMATA says they’re cutting down service which means ridership will go down but customers will also pay more for less service. Not only would service take a hit, but WMATA officials say the look, health and safety of stations could be weakened.
Metro Transit Police presence would be reduced and riders would see longer response times. Meanwhile, the job cuts will cause dirtier trains, stations and buses.
Metro's General Manager Randy Clarke is asking DC, Maryland and Virginia to adjust their 3% cap contributions to the system. If the regions agree, WMATA says Maryland would need to contribute $209 million more in the next two years to avoid cuts. DC would need to contribute $275 million while Virginia would only need to add $180 million.
Currently, D.C. contributes $519.2 million, Maryland contributes $494 million, and Virginia contributes $347.9 million, according to WMATA officials.
DC Councilmember Charles Allen said leaders from all three jurisdictions are working on a funding solution together.
"Now, I think that across the three jurisdictions, we probably have some different priorities that we're all trying to work on," Allen said. "The clock is ticking. We've got to get towards a solution. It's got to be regional. We all have a role to play here."
A spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also sent WUSA9 a statement via email:
"Governor Moore understands that transit systems across the nation are struggling with funding, and that’s why finding a sustainable, dedicated funding source for Maryland’s transportation modes is a top priority. Hundreds of Marylanders rely on WMATA for everyday transportation and access to jobs - and that will include those from around the region that the FBI will bring to Greenbelt. Our administration is committed to working with WMATA in seeking solutions to these complex funding challenges," the Governor's office spokesperson said."
The spokesperson added that Moore and MDOT Secretary Paul Wiedefeld will work with "stakeholders and legislative partners" to find a solution.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's office provided a response statement:
"The administration knows that WMATA is a vital asset to the Northern Virginia region. That’s why it must produce a plan that reflects reality: a plan that right-sizes service levels to demand, substantially reduces its worst-in-class administrative and facilities costs, updates fares to reflect value and demand, and improves fare collection as evasion and non-payment continue to significantly challenge both bus and rail operations. The Virginia Secretary of Transportation and the administration continue to engage with our regional partners, the system’s management, and other key stakeholders to chart a path forward to ensure WMATA’s long-term viability."
If local governments don’t pay up, the cuts would go into effect on July 1. The longer negotiations go, the more likely WMATA will have to implement a hiring freeze, which would impact service customers as early as mid-March. That freeze would start in just a couple of weeks.
The union representing WMATA workers called the proposed cuts "draconian." The full statement from the Amalgamated Transit Union is below:
The Union was shocked and dismayed by the stunning and draconian proposed cuts to WMATA service previewed today prior to its Board meeting on Thursday. Cutting metrobus routes, shuttering metrorail stations, and laying off thousands of workers is not a viable blueprint for a functioning mass transit system. This proposed budget should serve as a wake up call. Without a reliable and robust dedicated funding source, our system faces a bleak future. We need Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, as well as Congress to do their part to secure that dedicated funding.
Furthermore, Metro’s budget must not be balanced on the backs of working class Washingtonians. Whether it be the transit workers who make the system run, the essential workers who use Metrorail to commute to work, or the students who ride Metrobus to school every day, Metro cannot and must not fail them.
Our capital’s transit system faces many unique challenges and we need to all come together to implement the desperately needed solution. We need a robust regional dedicated funding source, and we need it now.
Tough conversations need to happen and the Union is not afraid of engaging in a good-faith process to solve the problem. However, eliminating bus routes and closing stations won’t address the funding issues in the long term. Instead, it will hurt families and hardworking people who rely on the transit system to get to work, school, and the grocery store. It will turn a world-class mass transit system into a mid-grade commuter service.
We can’t solve the problem alone. It is time for all Metro compact partners, the riding public, and workers to come together to create a system that is just, reliable, and sustainable.