Metro said it’s considering raising fares this summer but is no longer looking at slashing transit service after D.C., Maryland and Virginia offered hundreds of millions of dollars to help the transit system fill a budget shortfall.
For months, Metro has been warning riders and local leaders of a budget gap. In December, General Manager Randy Clarke said the agency was considering closing 10 stations, shuttering dozens of bus lines and laying off 2,000 workers if the $750 million budget gap wasn’t filled.
That doomsday scenario appears to have been avoided.
However, at a media briefing on Monday, Metro officials said that fares would go up by 12.5% in July 2024 if Clarke’s new budget is approved. The proposed fare increase would impact Metrobus, Metrorail, and MetroAccess.
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Metro would also start running shorter trains more often, meaning riders would see more trains with six cars instead of eight.
However, questions remain about Metro’s long-term funding plan.
Metro is the only mass transit system in the United States without a dedicated source of funding such as a sales tax or a gas tax.
Transportation
Reporter Adam Tuss and the News4 team are covering you down on the roads and in transit.
When D.C. leaders announced they were prepared to give Metro $200 million to avoid dramatic service cuts, they also wrote that they want an agreement on a new Metro funding formula.
Clarke told News4’s Adam Tuss that funding problems won’t come to an end until there’s a dedicated funding source.
“We're doing our part to save money, but we have to fund this thing,” Clarke said. “Whether it's a sales tax or some other tax, we have to have that conversation.”
