NEW CARROLLTON, Md. — Painting a brighter future for Metro, a pair of Maryland congressmen announced a piece of legislation Tuesday that they claim will improve the transit agency and increase ridership.
“We cannot keep cutting our way to prosperity,” said Rep. Anthony Brown. “The system seems caught in a spiral of deteriorating service and declining ridership.”
The bill, unveiled at a news conference at Metro’s New Carrollton station, would put in place pilot programs for a flat fare system.
There would be a flat $2.50 charge for trips originating from three Metro stations. The stations, one each in Maryland, Virginia and the D.C., would be selected by Metro officials.
Another pilot program would offer free transfers between bus and rail service at the participating stations.
“One problem is that people never know how much they’re going to pay,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin. “We need all hands on deck and we need all the best ideas that are out there. These are ideas that are coming from workers and riders.”
Under the legislation, Metro would establish two safety task forces. One of the groups would focus on the rails and the other on buses; both would have a particular emphasis on employee training.
“We must ensure that we nurture a safety culture,” Brown said. “A strong, safe and reliable Metro is key.”
The legislation would shine a light on MetroAccess, a service for commuters whose disability prevents them from using bus or rail.
Metro’s inspector general would need to review the effectiveness of MetroAccess, comparing it to similar services nationwide with the goal of determining whether Metro should bring the service in-house. Currently, it is outsourced to private contractors.
The bill would also potentially allow Metro to use certain federal funds to cover its operating costs.
In order to use such money, however, Metro would need to have a funding commitment from its jurisdictions of at least 50 percent for operating costs. Currently that figure sits at 46 percent.
