According to a survey conducted by two advisory groups involved in the regional task group’s efforts to develop a new funding plan for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), more than 80 percent of people surveyed in the metropolitan area said they support more and better transit service, even if it requires significant regional investment.
The advisory group said its proposed funding plan, called Scenario 1, would require the region to raise an additional $645 million to cover all transit modes in fiscal year 2028, with 70% of that going to capital projects.
According to Scenario 2, the region would need to raise $835 million, a figure based on assumptions about future inflation, project costs, regional ridership growth and continuing commitments from funding jurisdictions.
But how Virginia will handle those possibilities is unclear. Earlier this year, the state Legislature allocated $144.7 million to plug a $750 million shortfall in Metro’s general fund, an amount that could fluctuate depending on tax revenues.
The federal government typically supports the transportation sector from funds other than the General Fund.
“It’s unclear whether we’ll be able to continue to get assistance from the general fund because this is unprecedented,” Rep. Mark Sickles, a Democrat from Arlington, told The Mercury on Monday. Sickles, a member of the task force, was involved in discussions of Virginia’s final budget this year.
Lawmakers and leaders from across the region gathered at Metro offices in New Carrollton on Monday to hear recommendations from two advisory groups representing local community organizations and governments with the goal of building “stronger collaboration” among 14 different transit systems, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) said in a statement.
In April, Metro and MWCOG launched a joint initiative called DMV Moves aimed at creating a “unified vision” for transit service in the Metro region, which includes parts of Virginia, after financial challenges to maintaining Metro service surfaced during the most recent budget season.
Metro is supported by ridership and fare revenue, which has risen steadily since the pandemic kept travelers at home, as well as donations from local governments and the states of Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, a Fairfax Democrat who is part of the task force, said the goal is to develop a regional funding solution to ensure Metro has a sustainable, long-term revenue stream, which he said would minimize statewide budget negotiations that happen every few years.
“It seems like every six or seven years Metro has a funding crisis because our community has put off permanent solutions 70 yards instead of addressing the problem head on,” Surovell said after the meeting.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) attends a regional task force meeting in Maryland on Sept. 23. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)
The cheapest option, Scenario 1, sees all providers maintain existing service, limiting capital investments and focusing on keeping the transportation system efficient and reliable through repairs and maintenance.
Scenario 2 builds on Scenario 1 by improving service by supporting Maryland’s MARC trains and Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) commuter buses, while also increasing funding for local bus service and optimizing Metrorail service by increasing service frequency, using eight-car trains, and extending weekend hours.
This scenario also includes implementing the first phase of the Better Bus Visionary Network, Metro’s initiative to use existing resources to improve service and connections.
The task force will be briefed on the remaining two scenarios, which focus on expansion, maximizing service and modernizing assets, at its Nov. 14 meeting.
Some ideas that local governments could consider in generating new public revenue include taxes, collection of revenue from assessments, real estate transfers, and vehicle registration fees.
Determining how to collect revenue from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia remains difficult because each jurisdiction has its own funding mechanisms and different ways of operating their budgets, transit leaders said.
Representatives from local communities and government advisory groups also suggested the task force consider several proposals to improve transit services.
Among these are consolidating and aligning fare policies to provide a consistent customer experience; improving wayfinding, customer information and amenities at transit stops; and exploring shared use and grouped procurement of resources and assets.
The task force is scheduled to vote on the group’s recommendations on Nov. 14.
Not on the list of recommendations was the idea of integrating Northern Virginia’s bus service with Metro, something some Virginia leaders have vocally supported.
Surovell said he didn’t have to use multiple modes of transportation when traveling abroad to visit different cities.
“You buy one ticket and then you transfer to the train or the bus or whatever. It’s that easy,” he said, adding, “I think one solution to have a system that works better is to have one system.”
Phyllis Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, added, “I don’t think people who are trying to travel through the region, if they want to go from Loudoun to Alexandria, should have to take three different bus systems to do that.”
Loudoun County operates bus service for commuters within the county and to other areas of Northern Virginia and Washington state.
At the same time, while the task force is working on developing the model, Virginia’s state leaders are meeting to study Northern Virginia’s growing transportation needs and considering sustainable, dedicated operating and capital funding for Metro.
State leaders will hear several presentations on transportation’s short-term and long-term needs, trends and funding ideas.
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