Metro's union has made a number of suggestions to fund and fix WMATA, including free bus-to-rail transfers, a flat fare system and expanded hours.
The suggestions were released in a report Thursday.
To address Metro's funding issues, the union recommends creating a special tax for areas directly connected to bus and rail lines in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
"Land is more valuable when located near high‐quality public transit infrastructure, and WMATA has in fact reported on the numerous economic benefits of the system to the entire region," the report from Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 says.
The union, which represents more than 10,000 WMATA employees, says the transit agency should also create a "labor-management" partnership on all safety matters.
The report also list a number of suggestions to make WMATA "fair" for passengers.
The union recommends a modified flat fare system, free transfers between bus and rail, and a system that considers passengers' ability to pay rather than their age.
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WMATA issued a response to the report, saying, "We welcome the [u]nion's engagement and ideas and will carefully review the plan they released today. We look forward to working together on Metro safety, service reliability and financial improvements."
