More trains, buses and service — and higher fares — could all be in Metro’s future, if the newest budget proposal goes through. News4’s Adam Tuss reports.
Metro's new general manager, Randy Clarke, released his first budget proposal Tuesday, which would bring some major changes to the D.C. rail and bus system.
The document focuses on improving service to get riders back onto Metro transportation. A key part of the proposal involves increased frequency for some of the core Metro lines in D.C.'s downtown area.
"What I'm trying to do is, Randy Clarke the general manager has a set of conditions to run the system today," Clarke told News4 on Tuesday. "But I'm also trying to create some energy around, 'Let's have a big discussion about what we want Metro to be.'"
The changes would be focused on high-passenger-volume transfer stations on the Green, Orange and Yellow lines in the downtown center of the system, improving Metro service overall. Service on some lines would double in frequency, with trains stopping every three to six minutes.
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Metro made headlines Monday when it proposed bringing back automated train operation and automated doors -- an additional part of the proposed budget. Train operators have been manually stopping and starting trains and opening doors since the 2009 Red Line crash that killed nine people at Fort Totten. The new budget proposal says the safety concerns from that year have all been addressed, including the faulty track circuit issue that led to the crash.
By returning to the computer-controlled manual mode — which Metro will only do if the watchdog Washington Metrorail Safety Commission approves — Metro says that red light overruns would be prevented and safety would improve. It will also make for smoother train rides and shorter wait times between trains, Metro said.
There are also proposed improvements to the Metrobus system in the new budget proposal. The "Better Bus Network" would let people catch buses more often, helping riders to be able to rely on them more.
Whether they travel by bus or train, Metro passengers could see simplified fares under the proposed system.
Right now, peak fare ranges from $2.25 to $6.00, while off-peak fare ranges from $2.00 to $3.85.
The proposal would get rid of peak and off-peak pricing, instead setting a base fare of $2 — though the cost of a commute for some riders would increase if they're traveling more than three miles under the new system. Riders would see about a 5% fare increase with the changes, on average.
However, other changes to fares would include Metro's first low-income fare discount: Residents who receive SNAP benefits could get a 50% discount on their bus and rail rides.
Also on the horizon: If the proposal goes through as-is, we could see new 8000-series railcars on the tracks as part of a six-year capital improvement plan.
Casey Shortridge, a Metro passenger at the Dunn Loring-Merrifield station, says more trains are needed at times to ease crowding conditions.
"The car I got on last night, man, it was shoulder-to-shoulder," Shortridge said. "That's a little uncomfortable."
Metro hopes that the improvements to service proposed in the new budget will bring back riders. An increased ridership would help close the $184.7 million funding gap, Metro says, if it happens alongside a reduction in expenses and federal funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed in November.
The public will get a chance to weigh in on the proposal before anything would be implemented, and it's likely that changes will be made first. The earliest any of the proposed changes would take place is July 2023.
