Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 21, 2010

Metro thanks Subcommittee and regional delegation for funding support for safety, service reliability, maintaining a state of good repair

Local delegation supported funding of $150 million

This is a Metro statement after the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies passed a bill today (July 21) that includes $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

We greatly appreciate the support shown by the members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies for Metro's urgent safety and state of good repair needs. We are particularly grateful for the efforts of Senators Mikulski, Cardin, Webb, and Warner on behalf of Metro. We are committed to working with the Senators as well as other Members of Congress from this region in order to provide safe and efficient public transportation to the residents and visitors of the nation’s capital. We look forward to working with our delegation in ensuring that these funds are ultimately included in the legislation presented to the President.

Should this funding be enacted into law, Metro will use the funds to address our top priorities of safety, service reliability and maintaining a state of good repair. For instance, the funds will help us replace train cars, buses and MetroAccess vehicles, as well as repair and upgrade our tracks, infrastructure, aging facilities and escalators and elevators.

News release issued at 7:20 pm, July 21, 2010.