Metro News Release
For immediate release: April 22, 2010
Metro general manager makes new FY2011 budget proposal
Transit agency staff recommend service, fare adjustments to close budget gap
Richard Sarles, Metro’s interim general manager, presented the Metro Finance Administration and Oversight Committee today (April 22) with recommendations to close the agency’s $189 million budget gap for fiscal year 2011. The recommendations considered public input provided during six public hearings, in letters to Metro and responses to an on-line questionnaire.
The latest budget proposal includes fare and parking fee increases, bus and rail service adjustments, reallocation of some capital funds, departmental reductions, layoffs, and increased contributions by local jurisdictions.
“During the public comment period, we received a great deal of input from customers,” said Sarles. “We have taken these inputs into account as we propose a solution that we feel balances the FY2011 budget as well as the interests of all in the region fairly.”
Metrorail and Metrobus service adjustments account for $8 million or 4 percent of the budget gap reduction, while fare adjustments account for $87.9 million. Changes to parking, bicycle locker and other fees are expected to bring in an additional $13.8 million in revenue.
Sarles told the Committee that 79 percent of on-line public comments on the budget favored an increase in Metrobus fares and 80 percent favored increased fares for Metrorail.
Proposed fare adjustments include raising peak-hour rail fares from $1.65 to $1.90. A 10-cent surcharge would be added to fares during peak morning and evening periods. Bus fares would rise from $1.25 to $1.50 for SmarTrip users and $1.60 for riders using cash. All riders using paper fare cards would pay an extra 25 cents per transaction.
MetroAccess initiatives and departmental reductions are expected to close the budget gap by $7.2 million and $16.3 million, respectively. Sarles plans to cut 313 positions throughout the agency and eliminate a 1 percent pay raise for non-union employees.
Metro is requesting that Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia increase their jurisdictional contributions by $26 million.
Also, the agency will use $30.1 million in capital funds to pay for preventive maintenance. Surplus earnings and savings identified during the fiscal year will be returned to the capital budget in FY2012.
Additional details of proposed fare and service adjustments are listed below. All fare and fee adjustments can be seen if you click here.
Metrobus fare adjustments:
• Increase the boarding charge to $1.50 for SmarTrip users and $1.60 people paying in cash.
• Increase the fare for express buses to $3.65.
• Increase the fares to Dulles International Airport (route 5A) and Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (route B30) to $6 per trip.
• Increase the weekly bus pass price to $15.
• Reduce the bus-to-bus transfer period from three hours to two hours.
Metrorail fare adjustments:
• Increase the peak period boarding charge to $1.90 for trips of less than three miles.
• Increase the mileage charge on first tier of peak period (three to six miles) to about 30 cents per mile.
• Increase the mileage charge on second tier of peak period (six miles to peak) to about 27 cents per mile.
• Increase the “max-peak” period fare to $5.
• Implement “peak-of-the-peak” pricing, an additional 10-cents on fares between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Increase discounted fares within the first seven miles to $1.55; seven to 10 miles to $2.10; and beyond 10 miles to $2.70.
• Increase pass prices consistent with the boarding charges, to no higher than 15 percent.
• Reduce the rail-to-bus transfer period from three hours to two hours.
Parking and other fee adjustments:
• Charge a bicycle locker rental fee of $200 annually.
• Charge 25 cents for use of paper fare cards.
• Charge special event fares for historic, political, or major sporting or entertainment events.
• Increase the daily parking fee by 50 cents.
• Increase reserved parking fees by $5 per month.
• Authorize the general manager to have authority to increase the number of reserved parking spaces (up to 8 percent of all spaces) for stations where all reserved parking slots have been sold.
Metrorail service adjustments:
• End weekend service at 2 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Reduce service on the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Run Red Line trains every three minutes between Grosvenor and Silver Spring, and every six minutes between Silver Spring and Glenmont and Between Grosvenor and Shady Grove between 6 and 6:30 a.m. on weekends.
• Close one entrance to Stadium-Armory, McPherson Square, Friendship Heights and King Street Metrorail stations at 8 p.m. nightly. The Stadium-Armory entrance will be open during events at the stadium.
• Close one entrance to Anacostia North, Stadium Armory North, Navy Yard West, New York Avenue South, Friendship Heights South, L’Enfant Plaza West, King Street North, and Silver Spring North on weekends. The entrance at Stadium Armory North will remain open for stadium events.
• Change the frequency of trains from six to eight minutes apart between 6 and 6:30 a.m., equaling one-trip reduction each way.
Metrobus service adjustments:
• Reduce service on Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and weekdays between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Reduce late night weekend coverage to match the proposed Metrorail adjustment to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
• Reduce the number of bus stops, implement traffic signal priority for buses, and introduce bus-priority lanes and traffic management techniques on select lines.
• Alter several bus routes
MetroAccess service adjustments:
• Increase base fares at a rate comparable to twice the Metrobus fare, in keeping with current policy ($3 per trip).
• New customers will only be eligible for service within the three-fourth mile area outlined by the federal law. Existing customers will be “grandfathered” so as to be permitted to travel beyond the three-fourth mile area, but will be charged double current zone fees.
• Eliminate the free ride program for those customers who qualify for full MetroAccess eligibility.
Metro intends to use funds to place greater emphasis on medical and safety programs. The agency plans to spend $900,000 on additional drug testing for machinery operators and mechanics, and on fatigue and suicide programs.
The general manager’s proposal also dedicates $6 million to address safety recommendations of the Tri-State Oversight Committee and Metro personnel. Among those initiatives are improvements or development of safety certification and re-certifications, safety management system database, external safety panels, safety hotlines, off-site safety training, hazard analysis and programs and near-miss reporting,
Should the Board to approve the FY2011 budget by April 29, Metro will implement fare adjustments on June 27 and service changes in July and September.
To see the complete budget proposal presentation, click here.
News release issued at 2:21 pm, April 22, 2010.