Special Alert: WMATA Needs Your Help
It's time for Congress to reauthorize WMATA’s dedicated federal capital grant program so the nation's transit system can continue on its path Back to Good.
Time to Step Up to Secure WMATA’s Federal Funding
We are nearing the halfway point in the legislative battle on Capitol Hill to secure a full reauthorization of WMATA’s dedicated federal capital grant program, but we need your help to get over the finish line.
Let’s catch you up to speed: WMATA, as part of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) in 2008, received its first ever federal authorization, creating a 10-year investment of $150 million per year for WMATA’s state of good repair and safety-related capital investments so long as a few select criteria were met (e.g. DC, MD, and VA must contribute $50 million per year each to match the federal dollars; WMATA had to make its tunnels cell phone accessible – who doesn’t love that today?).
In late June, the U.S. House passed its transportation bill – the INVEST in America Act – that includes a full 10-year reauthorization of WMATA, increases the annual funding to $200 million per year by the end of the authorization period in 2031, and requires critical reforms to enhance the Inspector General’s independence.
It’s now the Senate’s turn, and we expect a lot of activity this month. Please call/beep/text/email/calligraphy your U.S. House and Senate members to thank them for their support for a “full 10-year reauthorization of WMATA in the infrastructure bill.”
Our delegation is the best in the country and they are working hard to make sure our transit system – WMATA – can safely and efficiently power our economy and connect our residents to jobs and opportunity. Federal reauthorization of WMATA is essential to making sure we make it fully Back to Good.
Congressional Delegation
Senator Ben Cardin, MD
Senator Chris Van Hollen, MD
Senator Mark Warner, VA
Senator Tim Kaine, VA
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC
Representative John Sarbanes, MD-03
Representative Anthony Brown, MD-04
Representative Steny Hoyer, MD-05
Representative David Trone, MD-06
Representative Jamie Raskin, MD-08
Representative Donald Beyer Jr., VA-08
Representative Jennifer Wexton, VA-10
Representative Gerald Connolly, VA-11
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 theMetroNow 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.