Metro is asking the public to weigh in on how to close an $189 million gap in its upcoming $1.4 billion operating budget, offering an online survey and a series of public hearings starting Monday.
Officials had planned to present a menu of choices on how to cover the shortfall, but now are offering a buffet of options: the general manager’s proposal of fare increases and service cuts, a set of higher fare increases, or a series of individual service changes.
Make your voice heard Metro is hosting six public hearings, each beginning at 6:30 p.m. with an open house, then hearings at 7 p.m.:
» Monday: Oakton High School Lecture Hall, 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna
» Wednesday: St. Francis Xavier Church, Bailey Room, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
» March 29: Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 5120 Whitfield Chapel Road, Lanham
» March 31: Arlington County Board Room, third floor, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington
» April 1:
— All Souls Unitarian Church, Pierce Hall,1500 Harvard St. NW
— Montgomery County Executive Office Building, cafeteria, 101 Monroe St. (entrance on Jefferson Street), Rockville
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The public can e-mail written statements to [email protected] or mail them by 5 p.m. April 6 at Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
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Metro is offering the public an online survey on all the budget options:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/FCWZL5F
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To view all the options, visit: www.wmata.com/images/mrel/FY2011PublicHearingsFinal.pdf.
The options may not seem too palatable as they include $44 million in service cuts, fare increases of up to 28 percent, plus up to 50-cent surcharges for train trips at the busiest times. Riders already have been asked to pay more for less. Metro hasn’t been meeting its goals for on-time performance or escalator repair. Riders started paying an extra dime on each trip late last month to cover an immediate budget crisis.
Still, Metro says it has few options as costs have grown and revenues have shrunk. Cutting service and raising fares are likely — it’s just a question of how the board of directors plans to do it and how much it will affect riders.
Among the options are eliminating eight-car trains, increasing wait times to up to 30 minutes for trains, and cutting scores of bus lines.
They also call for closing three stations on weekends, starting rail service 30 minutes later on weekdays and an hour later on weekends, plus stopping late service on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 a.m., not 3.
They also call for closing three stations on weekends, starting rail service 30 minutes later on weekdays and an hour later on weekends, plus stopping late service on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 a.m., not 3.
Bus rides would cost up to 35 cents more. Parking rates could rise by $1.15. Subway trips could cost $1.65 for off-peak trips to as much as $5.45 for the longest peak rides — before any “peak-of-the-peak” surcharge.
The agency won’t do all of the options, as they add up to about $200 million in savings.
Some of the gap could be made up from increasing the subsidies that local jurisdictions contribute, or tapping the capital budget to cover portions of the gap.
Metro is offering the public an online survey to go through all the choices, in what agency officials believe is a first for Metro. More than 200 surveys have been filled out.
