WMATA-Metro Workgroup 2018 Meetings

The WMATA-Metro Work Group will reconvene during the 2018 legislative session.  Work Group co-chair Delegate Erek Barron (Prince George's County) and I are pleased to announce the tentative schedule.

​Two major issues facing Metro will also be a significant focus for the session: identifying a dedicated revenue source for Metro and implementing needed governance reforms.  

Metro has seen a slight improvement by several measures since the conclusion of the SafeTrack maintenance program this past summer.  Rush hour ridership has returned to pre-SafeTrack levels, but ridership has yet to rebound at other times of the day.  Metro has also retired all 1000 and 4000 series railcars from the fleet, which has improved reliability as the problem-plagued cars have been replaced by new 7000 series trainsets.  

However, problems in need of permanent solutions persist.  Metro needs significantly more money to keep the system in a state of good repair and avoid the service cuts and fare hikes seen in June.  A dedicated revenue source is essential to maintain the progress Metro has made and prevent further cuts.  Additionally, a U.S. Senate panel recently revealed that Metro’s Office of the Inspector General--meant to be an independent watchdog within Metro--lacks the independence it needs to do their job.  Dedicated funding and governance reform are needed to ensure that Metro is reliable and accountable to the region’s residents.          

The following meetings and speakers are tentatively scheduled for the 2018 WMATA-Metro Work Group.  All meetings will take place at noon or when the House adjourns, whichever is later.

• January 19, 2018: Metro Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Outlook with Tom Webster

Thomas Webster is the Managing Director of Metro’s Office of Management and Budget.  Prior to his employment with Metro, Tom worked for the Maryland Department of Transportation as Metro liaison.  Tom will brief the work group about Metro’s fiscal situation as the FY19 is drafted this coming spring.      

• February 2, 2018: Future of Transit in the National Capital Region with Shyam Kannan

Shyam Kannan is the Managing Director of Planning at Metro.  He will speak about the future of transit in the D.C. region, including the role of new transit services like the Purple Line and bus rapid transit and the impact of new technology such as autonomous vehicles on regional transport.  

• February 16, 2018: New Fare Policy Concepts with representatives from ATU 689 and Congressman Anthony Brown’s office

Representatives from Amalgamated Transit Union 689 and Congressman Anthony Brown’s office will discuss new Metro fare policies and payment methods.  Ideas for new Metro fare structures include a flat fare, low income fares, and SelectPass.  Congressman Brown is planning to introduce legislation related to this issue.

• March 2, 2018: Metro Governance and Funding discussion

In March 2017, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe hired former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to compile a report on needed Metro reforms and funding sources.  Secretary LaHood’s report was recently made public and it recommends a host of governance changes for Metro, but did not prescribe a funding source.  The March 2 meeting will be a discussion of that report’s recommendations as well as a discussion of potential dedicated revenue sources for Metro recommended by other regional groups.  
​
The schedule is subject to change.  Please contact Sean Emerson in my office with any questions at (301) 858-3649 or [email protected]