Metro News Release
For immediate release: November 9, 2007
Metro Reminds Customers to Participate at the Six Public Hearings on Fare Increases
Public hearings in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia will be held on November 13, 14 and 15 to receive the public’s input on proposed fare increases for Metrorail, Metrobus and parking that would take effect in January.
All six hearings will begin at 7 p.m. There will be an open-house held at 6:30 p.m. before each hearing. The hearing dates and locations are as follows:
• Tuesday, November 13, at the Bechtel Conference Center, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA (hearing number 525). By Metrorail: Orange Line to the West Falls Church station, transfer to the Fairfax Connector Bus 505 or 950 to the Reston Town Center Transit Station where a free shuttle bus will leave at 6 and 6:30 p.m. to the public hearing. Fairfax Connector will provide free shuttle bus service from the public hearing to the Reston Town Center Transit Station.
• Wednesday, November 14, at Metro headquarters in the Jackson Graham Building, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC (hearing number 526). By Metrorail: Red, Green or Yellow lines to Gallery Place or Judiciary Square station. By Metrobus: Routes 70, 71, D1, D3, D6, 80, X2, P6, 42.
• Wednesday, November 14, at the Montgomery County Council Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD (hearing number 527). By Metrorail: Red Line to Rockville station.
• Thursday, November 15, at St. Luke’s Center, 4923 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC (hearing number 528). By Metrorail: Blue Line to Benning Road station. By Metrobus: Routes 96, 97, U5, U6, W4, V9.
• Thursday, November 15, at the Arlington County Government Building, Room 307, #1 Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA (hearing number 529). By Metrorail: Orange Line to Courthouse station.
• Thursday, November 15, at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, Town Hall Room, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD (hearing number 530). By Metrorail: Blue Line to Largo Town Center station. A free shuttle bus will transport customers from the Largo Town Center Metrorail station to and from the public hearing.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is faced with a significant budget shortfall for fiscal year 2009, which begins July 1, 2008. The cost of Metrobus, Metrorail and MetroAccess services are funded in part by passenger revenues and, in part, by subsidies provided by the District of Columbia, the state of Maryland and local jurisdictions in Virginia. The last Metro fare increase occurred on July 1, 2004.
The public hearings will seek comment from the public on: proposed adjustments to passenger fares; proposed adjustments to parking rates and fees; proposed increases in the reserved parking program; and proposed adjustments to bus-to-bus and rail-to-bus transfer procedures. The projected start date of January 6, 2008, before the start of Fiscal Year 2009 is intended to moderate the effects of the fare increase on passengers and will allow Metro to collect the required revenue over 18 months as opposed to collecting the required revenue over a shorter 12-month period.
All organizations or individuals desiring to be heard with respect to the proposed adjustments to passenger fares, parking rates and fees will be afforded the opportunity to present their views and make supporting statements and to offer alternative proposals. In order to establish a witness list, individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to be heard at these public hearings are requested to furnish in writing their name, address, telephone number and organization affiliation, if any, to Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Alternatively, requests to speak may be faxed to 202-962-1133 or e-mailed to public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com. Please submit one speaker’s name per letter and reference to the hearing number for the hearing at which you wish to speak. Lists of individual speakers will not be accepted. Other present at the hearing may be heard after those persons who have registered have spoken. Public officials will be heard first and will be allowed five minutes each to make their presentations. All other speakers will be allowed three minutes each.
Written statements and exhibits may be submitted until close of business on Monday, November 26, 2007, to Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Alternatively, individuals may send an e-mail to public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com. Please reference the hearing and/or docket number listed above in the submission.
These public hearings are being conducted in locations accessible to persons with disabilities. Any individual who requires special assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, to participate in the public hearing should contact Danise Peña at 202-962-2511 or TTY 202-638-3780 for Metro to make the necessary arrangements.
News release issued at 12:00 am, November 9, 2007.