Metro riders will have to make sacrifices if they want to keep the transit system running as the agency grapples with an extensive maintenance backlog, the board of directors said Thursday. That could mean losing the rail system’s late-night service on weekends or it could mean other cuts. One board member even mentioned that Chicago had to close an entire line on its system for two years to rebuild it. “We’re not there,” said Tom Downs, D.C. representative on Metro’s board. “But those are the kinds of choices we’re going to be facing.”

Metro is facing a $72.5 million hole in its upcoming budget that could require it to cut rail or bus service. But beyond the financial gap, board members said, the transit system is facing a shortfall of time.