WASHINGTON – As Metro proposes fare increases and service reductions, some local lawmakers say that asking for more money after last month’s L’Enfant Plaza tragedy is going to be a hard sell.
“There is no question about it. It calls into question credibility and how effectively Metro is using these subsidies and these fare increases on users,” says Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly, who represents parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties.
A day after the National Transportation Safety Board released a scathing report regarding the Jan. 12 smoke event, riders will have the chance to weigh in on the proposed budget and suggested service cuts during a public hearing with Metro officials Thursday afternoon.
Connolly, who serves on the Congressional committee that oversees both Metro and the NSTB, will hold a hearing Friday to delve into the fatal smoke and response.
“Obviously this tragedy and this (NTSB) report don’t help to make the case. If people are going to invest in the system, whether it is subsidies or fares, they need to have confidence in the system,” Connolly says.
Metro is asking D.C. plus jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia to add about $100 million in new subsidies. But some WMATA board members expressed concern that the jurisdictions might only contribute about $85 million. That could leave a $15 million, or more, gap that Metro would need to close.
One option is raising fares. Another option under consideration is selling the jurisdictions on the entire $100 million increase. A third option could include cutting services, such as increasing wait times between trains — even during the rush hour.
“Anything that undermines public confidence in our Metro system makes it more difficult to provide the level of public support Metro so obviously needs. That is particularly true in Maryland with a new governor who has made it clear that transit funding is not a top priority for him. Our entire region needs Metro to be at its very best. And, as this latest tragic incident underscores, that is most certainly not the case today,” says Montgomery County Councilman Roger Berliner, who chairs the county’s committee on transportation and the environment.
Montgomery and Fairfax counties are the two biggest funders of the Metro system. And any funding deal with Montgomery would require Berliner’s support.
While the fare increase is one proposal from Metro, there are often many changes to the budget between now and a final vote in May. Based on previous budget negotiations, it is possible that any of these proposals could be scrapped altogether.
