Metro News Release
For immediate release: October 3, 2005
Elected and transportation leaders pledge to seek dedicated funding for Metro
Regional elected and transportation leaders today committed to finding a steady, long-term funding stream for Metro.
District of Columbia Council Chairman Linda Cropp, D.C. Transportation Secretary Dan Tangherlini, Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan, Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer and other participants signed a pledge to seek dedicated funding for the transit authority at a regional summit attended by representatives from the local, state and federal governments, along with business and transportation groups.
"The need is now," said Chairman Cropp. "We must seize the moment and deal with this dedicated funding issue."
The leaders also agreed to continue to negotiate with Congress over federal legislation that offers $1.5 billion in aid over 10 years to Metro if the region agrees on a dedicated source of revenue. The legislation also calls for an Inspector General and two federal appointees to Metro’s board of directors. Officials also considered amendments to Metro’s compact that would need to be approved by state and city legislators. Those proposed amendments would add the two federal appointees to Metro’s board of directors and the office of Inspector General. The resolution also urges Metro to implement actions to improve accountability, business planning and cost effectiveness. The agency has taken steps over the last several months to improve in each of those areas.
Outside experts, including the Brookings Institution and the General Accounting Office, have concluded that Metro finds itself in recurring financial crises because of a lack of dedicated funding. The Authority also is the only major transit system in the country without such revenue sources. Metro is funded through ridership and advertising revenue, and from the general funds from state and local governments. When Metro faces an operating budget deficit, it looks to raise fares, cut services and costs, and asks D.C., Maryland and the Virginia localities, which fund the agency, to fill the gap.
To control costs, Metro also has delayed nearly $350 million in repairs and upgrades to stations and other facilities and equipment over the last five years. Meanwhile, the Authority has seen a 37 percent growth in ridership over the last eight years.
"Metro is aging and as it ages the cost for Metro will increase, and the type of funding we’ve had in the past must change," said Cropp.
Cropp said the D.C. Council and Mayor Anthony Williams would support moving forward with commitments to dedicated funding, and urged other governments to follow suit. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan and Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson also have come out in support of dedicated funding. Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer indicated that dedicated funding would need support outside of northern Virginia.
"Clearly, it’s a need in this region, and it needs to be matched up with the needs in Hampton Roads (Virginia)," Homer said. He said the issue can be revisited after the gubernatorial election in November.
"Maryland has a good funding system at the present time, but we’re not closing the door that it can be improved." said Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan.
Del. Carolyn Howard, chair of the Prince George’s delegation to Maryland’s General Assembly, said she would push for legislation to be introduced next year.
Metro Board Chairman Dana Kauffman, who called for today’s summit earlier this year after a Blue Ribbon Panel of outside experts released a report calling for dedicated funding for the region’s transit Authority, called today’s event a success for the region.
"The consequences of not getting Metro the dedicated funding it needs are dire, and we simply cannot afford to let the nation’s best transit system fall into a state of disrepair," Kauffman said. "I’m pleased with today’s outcome because we kept this critical issue on people’s radar screens, and we secured their commitment."
The summit was sponsored by The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Federal City Council and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
News release issued on October 3, 2005.