DMV Leaders Call On Biden To Bolster Metro Funding

WASHINGTON, DC — The chief executives overseeing the National Capital Region sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden Thursday, asking for additional Metro funding to support a more robust transit system.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called on the incoming president to bolster the flagging transit system serving the region that includes more than 300,000 federal employees.

"While the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has been a lifeline for essential workers, a large number of federal employees have been working remotely throughout 2020, leaving the transit system that serves our nation’s capital facing severe financial pressure," the letter said.

The three executives urged the Biden-Harris administration to increase federal support for WMATA. Without this support, WMATA faces budget shortfalls that could force layoffs and result in service interruptions that would hinder the region's economic recovery.

"WMATA operates through the support of contributions from the governments of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, and we are all experiencing significant budget challenges and significant new costs resulting from the pandemic," the letter said. "We encourage the Biden-Harris administration to renew the federal government’s commitment to Metro’s future and strongly consider joining the three jurisdictions as our fourth partner in a WMATA funding agreement. We strongly believe that maintaining a safe and reliable public transit system for the nation’s capital is a national priority and should be treated in that way."

Hogan, Northam, and Bowser went on to say they were grateful for temporary funding from the CARES Act that has helped WMATA continue operations and maintain jobs for 12,900 workers throughout the pandemic.

Without the additional federal funding, WMATA is expected to experience an operating budget shortfall of $176.5 million for FY2021 (through June 2021), followed by a $494.5 million budget shortfall in FY2022.

"When pandemic relief funding runs out, WMATA will be forced to make draconian service cuts and eliminate more than 3,800 positions," the letter said. "This is more than one-third of its workforce, when combined with this year’s layoffs."

Although short-term COVID-19 emergency relief was welcomed, Hogan, Northam, and Bowser asked the Biden-Harris administration to make a long-term commitment to help WMATA continue to serve the region.

"Forty percent of Metro’s peak morning riders are federal employees commuting to hundreds of federal facilities in the region," the letter said. "This includes 50 WMATA Metrorail stations serving major federal facilities such as the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. WMATA serves as a linchpin to federal government operations, yet the lack of a federal contribution for operating WMATA fails to reflect this fact."

Together, with @GovLarryHogan and @RalphNortham we urge the Biden-Harris administration to provide increased federal support for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). pic.twitter.com/MU0oxTTIXb
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) December 17, 2020