A $1.5 billion Metro funding bill that won final approval from Congress this week would go a long way toward alleviating Metro’s many ailments, General Manager John Catoe said Thursday.
“The passage of this bill comes at the perfect moment,” Catoe said of the measure, which was championed by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and drew fierce support from other local legislators, but which failed twice before in Congress.
Catoe announced late last month that Metro needs $7.4 billion over 10 years just to keep the system running at its current level of service — a request that comes as the local jurisdictions that fund the transit agency are facing budget shortfalls.
An additional $4 billion is needed for system improvements that would expand Metro’s capacity and improve service, Catoe said.
The $1.5 billion in the new bill, which would be doled out over 10 years, combined with $1.5 billion in matching funds from the jurisdictions, would enable Metro to purchase 300 new railcars to replace the agency’s original, deteriorating ones, Catoe said.
The combined $3 billion could also go toward rehabilitating the agency’s 100 aging 4000-Series cars and fixing stations’ crumbling platforms, he said.
“In a year that has been almost unbelievably bleak in terms of transportation funding, this is a ray of sunshine,” said Metro Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman.
But Zimmerman warned that Virginia has yet to come up with its $50-million-a-year share of the matching funds, though Gov. Tim Kaine promised this week to make it a priority.
Metro Board members also note that there are several more hurdles to clear before Metro sees the federal government’s $1.5 billion.
The bill must survive the congressional appropriations process, and Metro Board members, who are prone to infighting, must work together and with their respective jurisdictions to amend Metro’s compact to reflect new federal rules.
Outside of the new bill, Metro receives $289 million a year as part of the six-year federal surface transportation bill — a number that transit leaders are seeking to double when the measure comes up for reauthorization next year.
If successful, Metro would receive $3.5 billion over six years in addition to the $3 billion from Congress and the local jurisdictions, bringing the agency’s total funding significantly closer to its $7.4 billion target.
