Fiscal Year 2024 Budget: Proposed Fare and Service Changes

Fiscal Year 2024 Budget

Metro is committed to improving safety, reliability, affordability, and overall customer experience—and our Fiscal Year 2024 budget aims to fulfill those goals. Engaging our customers, local communities and stakeholders and gathering their feedback is an integral part of the budget process, and factors into our Board of Directors' final decisions.

Public Engagement Report

We received and analyzed over 4,150 comments, letters, and public testimonies regarding Metro’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal.  This input was collected by engaging with more than 250,000 customers across the region over the course of the public comment period. Take a look at our full report.

Draft Title VI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Analysis

Under Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, public transit agencies are required to conduct an equity analysis on how proposed fare and service changes will impact minority or low-income customers. Take a look at our draft report.

Key Proposals

Read more about our proposals by clicking on the link to jump to the sections below.

Budget Goals & Priorities | Simplified Metrorail Fares | Low-Income Fare Program | Rail Service | Bus Service | Capital Budget

Resources

Note: The docket contains the Notice of Public Hearing and the proposed fare, rail, and bus changes.

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Budget Goals & Priorities

We're working differently at Metro, and our FY24 budget proposal is no exception. Totaling $4.7 billion, our proposed FY24 budget covers capital and operating expenses from July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024. It is a reflection of our values and was formulated based on outreach with our customers, employees, the community, and stakeholders through rail station meet and greets, open houses, surveys, town hall meetings and individual interviews.

We learned what matters most to all of us is more frequent service that is safe, reliable, and sustainable. Our proposed budget aims to overall:

  • Provide more frequent and reliable service, including increased train service and a complete redesign of the bus network
  • Create a more simplified and equitable fare system, including a low-income fare program
  • Improve customer service & communications with a new integrated communications center
  • Enhance safety through support of our police force, including new crisis intervention specialists
  • Advance sustainability-focused initiatives, including investments in our zero-emission bus program
  • Continue capital improvements, including major construction and maintenance projects Watch a video from our General Manager and leadership team about the importance of this year's budget process.

Watch a video from our General Manager and leadership team about the importance of this year's budget process.


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Fare Proposals


Simplified Metrorail Fares


This proposal will make our weekday Metrorail pricing easier to understand and improve the customer experience. Adjustments include:

  • Eliminate peak and off-peak pricing on weekdays before 9:30 p.m.
  • The base fare would lower from $2.25 to $2 to align with bus, weekend, & late-night service
  • Late-night and weekend fares would stay the same at $2
  • Maximum fares would increase from $6.00 to $6.50
  • The seven-day short-trip pass would be adjusted to cover trips up to $4. The price would stay the same.
  • Monthly unlimited pass options would reflect the $6.50 maximum fare adjustment.

Low-Income Fare Program


Our new Low-Income Fare Program would offer a 50% discount on Metrorail & Metrobus trips to eligible customers. This program would be accessible to customers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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Rail Service Proposals


Our FY24 budget rail service proposal provides more trains to reduce travel times, expand destination access and grow ridership. Take a look at the details below.

Frequency Increases for Green Green and Yellow Yellow lines

  • Opening until 9:30 p.m. - From every 10-12 min to every 6 min
  • After 9:30 p.m. From every 15 min to every 10 min
  • Yellow Line begins new service pattern. Terminal change from Greenbelt to Mt Vernon Sq; operating between Huntington and Mt Vernon Sq only

Frequency Increases for Orange Orange line

  • Opening until 9:30 p.m. - From every 12 min to every 10 min
  • Weekday rush hour only (6:30-9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m.).  From every 10 min to every 7 ½ min

RedRed,  BlueBlue and  SilverSilver lines frequencies remain the same

  • With this level of service, trains would arrive every 3-6 minutes in the downtown stations and every 8-12 minutes at stations served by a single line. After 9:30 p.m., trains would operate every 5-10 minutes downtown and every 10-15 minutes elsewhere.
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Bus Service Proposals


We're also working hard to expand access, advance equity and optimize bus routes for our Metrobus customers through these proposals.

  • DC
    • B2 Bladensburg Road-Anacostia
      Increase Route B2 service to every 12 minutes between 7 a.m. - 9 p.m., 7 days a week, adding to Metro's Frequent Service Network.
    • Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2021
      • The Council of the District of Columbia passed the "Metro for DC Amendment Act of 2021" which includes:
      • Free Metrobus trips for customers within the District of Columbia
      • All-night Metrobus service every 20 minutes on the following routes: 32, 33, 52, 70, 90, A6, A8, B2, H4, S2, V2, W4, X2 - View Map
  • Maryland
    • A12 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway | View Map
      Add more service by splitting the A12 route into two routes, expanding to new connections to (BL) Downtown Largo and (OR) New Carrollton stations. Both routes would operate every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m., 7 days a week, and every 30 minutes otherwise.
  • Virginia
    • 16G & 16H Columbia Pike | View Map
      The proposed new 16M would combine the former 16G and 16H with a new connection to Crystal City station and would operate every 12 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week, and every 15-30 minutes otherwise. The western loop at Arlington Mill will be covered by Arlington Transit (ART).
    • 11Y Mt. Vernon Express | View Map
      Reinstate the 11Y express route from Mt. Vernon to Potomac Park, replacing the 11C and DC3 shuttle. Would operate every 30 minutes, northbound in the AM peak and southbound in the PM peak. Express fare would be charged
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Proposed Capital Budget


Our proposed $2.4 million capital budget is part of our six-year capital improvement program of $14.4 billion. This aggressive infrastructure plan includes investment in ongoing projects-including bus garage reconstruction projects, escalator replacements, and solar panel installations over parking structures. The investments also prioritize system maintenance and renewal needs, and other investments to provide safe and efficient service.  Our proposed capital budget of $2.4 billion continues to focus on six categories: railcars and railcar facilities; rail systems; track and structure rehabilitation; bus, bus facilities and paratransit; stations and passenger facilities; and operations and business support.

Learn more about our Capital Improvement Program.

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