Julia Eisen – WMAL News | December 12, 2023
Drastic cuts could be coming to the DC metrorail system as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority continues to struggle with its $750 million budget shortfall.
Metro General Manager Randy Clarke warned Washington Metropolitan residents for months that the overwhelming budget deficit will soon affect riders.
Tuesday morning Clarke proposed a FY2025 budget that could be a doomsday scenario unless D.C., Maryland and Virginia cough up hundreds of millions of dollars to help keep the system running.
If WMATA were to receive no extra funding from the neighboring states and District, Metro bus services will be cut by a third, with 67 bus lines eliminated and 41 more could see a reduction in service. Additionally, metrorail will see time between trains extended with rail service ending at 10 p.m. each night.
The severe reduction of buses and trains will come with a price tag. The proposed budget includes a 20 percent cost increase in fare and parking rates.
With all of these changes Metro will look “unrecognizable,” according to Clarke in the budget document.
These heavy changes came from Metro’s inability to achieve pre-pandemic ridership levels.
D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen tweeted “I’m confident we all agree that this budget can never become reality. That level of service would fail workers, seniors, students, businesses and residents.”
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