Metro's $4.8B budget includes fare hikes, avoids drastic cuts

Metro’s Board of Directors approved a $4.8 billion budget that avoids drastic cuts but includes rate hikes for the transit system that faced a $750 million deficit due to inflation, teleworking and the end of federal pandemic relief funds.  

General Manager Randy Clarke says there will only be modest changes to service.

“There’s a great comeback story going on here, and I think the Metro is one of the key reason to fuel this,” he said.

Bus fares and base rail fares increase from $2 to $2.25. The maximum rail fare increases from $6 to $6.75. Late night and weekend fares rise from a flat $2 to between $2.25 and $2.50 based on distance.

This budget only fixes the next fiscal year. There will be budget gaps going forward unless Metro can find a sustainable, dedicated source of funding like a sales tax or a gas tax.

“We can’t keep doing this year, after year, after year,” Board Chair Paul Smedberg said.

The region’s leaders are getting tired of having to find more money for Metro every year like they did this year, Smedberg said.

“This whole idea of having a dedicated stream of funding, whatever it looks like — whether it’s one regional thing or three different things that go into a pot — whatever it is, they understand we can’t continue to do this,” he said.

The Metro workers union — Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 — shared that concern, releasing a statement saying, in part, “It's disappointing that WMATA continues to be the only major transit system in the country without dedicated funding, and the union renews our call for establishing dedicated funding.”

A first-of-its-kind meeting between the Metro Board and the region’s Council of Governments to talk about funding Metro is expected to happen May 1.

Fare increases take effect July 1.