The Washington Metrorail has proposed terminating 1,000 employees as a way to cut costs in fiscal year 2018, when the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority faces a nearly $300 million budget gap.
The D.C. Metro published a document on Sunday listing its options for continuing operations in the midst of a severe pinch in funding due to significant costs to repair parts of the system. In addition to cutting employees, staffers would lose some or all of their healthcare benefits.
Rail service would also be more limited, increasing wait times for trains starting in July 2017, when the new fiscal year commences. During peak hours, trains would operate every two to four minutes at stations served by multiple lines. For single line stations, service would take place every eight minutes instead of every six minutes. Rush trains would be completely eliminated.
The only upside for riders is on the Blue Line, where trains currently operate every 12 minutes.
For off-peak riders, train would run every 15 minutes on each line.
In addition to slower service and fewer employees, WMATA also proposed raising local bus fares from $1.75 per trip to $2 each way. Rail riders would also see a five to 25 cent increase per trip.
“Metro has to face reality when it comes to what the region says it can afford and direct those resources to best serve the riders we have today,” said Metro General Manager Wiedefeld. “This plan has Metro doing everything in our power to get major expense categories under control while improving safety and making the trains run on time.”
The final budget must be approved by March in order to take effect by July.
