Metro no longer will provide shuttle bus services for the Washington Redskins and other local organizations because new federal regulations prohibit it, officials said.
Both the Redskins and Wolf Trap contract Metro to run low-cost shuttles between the venues and their closest Metro station before and after events, charging customers $5 round-trip.
The transit agency receives about 150 requests a year for charter bus services, including for D.C., Arlington County and Prince George’s County schools’ field trips and Fourth of July events in Fairfax County.
But Federal Transit Administration regulations took effect April 30 that prevent public agencies such as Metro from providing charter bus services if there are private companies that are able to do it.
“The intent is to make sure that private carriers are not being disadvantaged by public operators who are publicly funded,” said Gordon Linton, a member of Metro’s board of directors and a former FTA administrator during the Clinton administration. “This is a long-standing issue between private carriers and public transit agencies.”
Charter bus services are not a big moneymaker for Metro but rather something the transit agency can provide to try to maintain good relationships with the local community, officials said.
Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson said the team was working with private companies to replace Metro and that he did not know whether contracting with another company would raise shuttle prices for customers.
“That I don’t know — we’re in the process of getting bids,” he said. “Literally everybody in town is having this problem.”
Metro obtained an exemption from the FTA for Wolf Trap this summer because venue officials were unable to negotiate a contract for private service before the start of the season, according to the exemption form.
Wolf Trap will have to contract a private company next year, a spokeswoman said.
