MetroNow Dispatch 12.2022
This month’s Dispatch unpacks WMATA's proposed FY 2024 budget, the Metro for DC Bill, and shares a bit of holiday cheer in honor of our December Transit Champion! 🚇❄️❄️.
WMATA Budget: Naughty or Nice?
WMATA's proposed budget includes a number of positive changes to service that could take effect at the start of fiscal year 2024, on July 1, 2023. Missing, however, are any substantive changes that WMATA is planning to make to their internal operations to try to prevent future crises like the Blue Line derailment and 7000 series debacle, a track record of noncompliance, and finally build a culture of safety and better transparency and stewardship of public resources. That being said, and while long-distance Metro riders would face higher fares, there is still a lot to like in the proposed budget, including:
More frequent trains: The downtown core would see Metro trains arriving every three to six minutes.
Low-income fares: Riders already receiving SNAP benefits would be eligible for a 50% discount - matching the discount for senior and disabled customers.
Simplified fare structure: Eliminate weekday peak fares, align bus and rail base fare at $2, create standard mileage rate for rail trips after the first three miles.
WMATA is confident it can close the anticipated budget gap in FY 2024, but the projected operating shortfalls get significantly worse in FY 2025 and every year thereafter. With the DC Council likely to advance a proposal to subsidize 100% of bus trips originating in the District (see next section), working to accelerate the installation of bus priority infrastructure is even more important to improve reliability and reduce operating costs long-term. Know what might be better than a free bus ride? A bus that arrives on time, and is frequent.
While next year’s proposed budget has a lot of things to like, the long-term outlook remains grim. To quote WMATA:
“Metro’s long-term financial outlook remains very challenging. On the capital budget, there is enough funding capacity for the next few years, but Metro’s 10-year needs exceed $25 billion and far surpass the projected available funding. On the operating budget, additional funding and gap closure measures will be required to balance the FY2025 budget as federal pandemic relief funding will be exhausted at the end of FY2024.”
Does anyone have a spare $25 billion lying around? Also, what would $25 billion even get us?
Read More:
Smooth Sailing for Metro, for now, as storm clouds gather (WaPo 12.9)
“The region’s leaders have options, albeit limited ones, to address Metro’s coming crisis. Simply put, they will need more funding. Yet there is little evidence they are acting. And in the District of Columbia, local elected officials are adding an additional budgetary burden by voting to make Metrobuses free.”
Metro proposes fare, service hikes while emerging from pandemic (WaPo 12.6)
“Customers want more frequent service, and we found that when frequency improves, more people ride and people ride more often,” Clarke said. “Doubling service frequency, we expect, will generate additional ridership for Metro and improve access for our customers in the region.”
Council Unanimous in support for Metro for DC Act
Last Tuesday December 6, a committee of the D.C. Council voted 13-0 to move forward an amended version of the Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2021. The updated bill would eliminate bus fares for trips originating within city limits.
Early versions of the bill proposed a $100 monthly transit subsidy for residents, but the free bus proposal was an order of magnitude cheaper and less administratively complex. The Bill now includes a recommendation to implement the subsidy program in October 2024, if funding becomes available. We won’t try to litigate the merits of free transit, as there are pros and cons.
On one side, free transit could boost ridership, related federal formula funding, and ultimately increase political will for transit investments. On the other hand, it could degrade service, reduce operating revenues, and ultimately the political will for transit investments.
What we do know is that DC’s proposal is not reflective of a coherent, regional approach across jurisdictions This disjointed approach to fare policy could have the unintended consequence of reducing regional coordination and buy-in for the Metrobus system in Maryland and Virginia. MetroNow also hopes that this initiative does not distract from the necessary efforts to improve service frequency and reliability throughout the system, especially along high ridership bus corridors. Investments to ensure bus priority on roadways and expanded service should be the centerpiece of regional bus planning and DC cannot do that alone. Neither can WMATA. DC, Maryland, Virginia, WMATA, and all of the region's local transit providers should be working towards a seamless transit experience across borders. Next year, borders may be all the more meaningful.
D.C. Council will convene later this month for a final vote on the Bill. Click here to find the Council’s schedule.
Read More:
Free buses are a money saver. Riders say they’re still too slow (WaPo 12.10)
“What most riders are saying is money needs to go for more service,” Bragdon said. “That’s what they should be laser-focused on: making transit better and more plentiful.”
D.C. votes to eliminate Metrobus fares in movement toward free transit (WaPo 12.6)
“This is something that is one of those rare win, win, wins,” said council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), the initial author of the legislation. “Deep, immediate, meaningful impact for working families all across our city.”
Metro’s Buses Won’t Ghost You Anymore, Transit Agency Says (DCist 12.16)
“Starting Friday, WMATA software has been upgraded so out-of-service buses (either due to mechanical issues or operator availability) will not appear on the busETA website or other third-party tracking apps, like Google Maps and Transit.”
Got NYE Plans 🥳? Metro Can Be Your Designated Driver. For FREE!
WMATA announced Metro will be open until 2am on Sunday, Jan 1. Even better, all trips beginning after 8:00pm on December 31 will be FREE. Skip Uber and Lyft. Take Metro.
2022 Bus Champions Webinar Retrospective
It has been quite a year! In 2022 we delivered twelve Dispatches and five Bus Champions webinars. With your support we managed to reach thousands of views and several hundred regular readers! In our writing we’ve cheered regional wins and drawn attention to the critical transit issues we continue to grapple with. We kicked off our webinar series with a discussion on all things better bus and have since covered diverse and important topics such as the bus network redesign and transportation worker training and advocacy, and more. Follow the links below to read about some of the webinars in greater detail.
This Year’s Webinars:
February 2, Bus Champions Roundtable Kickoff
February 15, Bus Champions for Bus Network Redesigns
May 16, The Business of Better Buses
June 30, e-Bus: Toward Zero Emissions Transit
September 21, The Transit Workforce
October 7, The Future of Bus Data
December Transit Champion: Metro’s Holiday Train
Metro is getting into the holiday spirit with a custom-wrapped 7000-series train. CEO and GM Randy Clarke has already ridden, have you? If you see the train during your commute tag @WMATA according to the instructions below and tag us (@metronow) while you’re at it! Click here to view WMATA’s holiday schedules for both Metro and MetroBus. Thanks for spreading holiday cheer, Metro!
Read More:
Metro announces new holiday-wrapped buses and trains (@wmata 11.29)
“Let it snow ❄️, and ride Metro! Ⓜ️ Be on the lookout for our holiday-wrapped buses 🚌 and trains 🚇. When you spot one, join in our festive little game (details to follow!), and show us your #MetroHolidayCheer. #wmata #yourmetro”
Reminder: Tell us what you think about Regional Bus Transformation
MetroNow has begun drafting its Bus Transformation report and we are taking a fresh look at our region’s progress over the past year. Your feedback will be anonymous but will inform our work. Complete the Survey. It should take less than 5 minutes.
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The MetroNow Coalition is made up of regional leaders from the business, non-profit, and advocacy communities who believe that transit is designed to bring us together —at work, school, and play. Today, we believe our collective advocacy for better transit for the Washington DC region is more important than ever.
We launched the MetroNow Dispatch to bring residents, leaders, and transit agencies together to think about how we can make better transit today, during the pandemic, and “tomorrow,” as we look beyond recovery to how we can build a more equitable, sustainable, and accessible transportation system for our region.