by Truman Lewis – Fairfax News
Virginia lawmakers have approved $154 million in new, dedicated funding for Metro, challenging Maryland and D.C. to do the same.
“The step taken by Virginia today is truly historic,” said MetroNow Campaign Manager Clare Flannery after the Saturday vote. “We are confident that Maryland and Washington D.C. will step up in the same way. … All three have funding and reform proposals on the table. Virginia has raised everyone’s expectation and today’s vote proves conclusively that the window has opened this year for a long-term solution.”
During a Saturday morning session, the Virginia General Assembly approved HB1539/SB856 to provide $154 million in new, dedicated, and bondable funding for Metro as well as provisions for governance reform, a necessary step in achieving $500 million in new annual, dedicated funding for Metro, which has long been plagued by unpredictable, year-to-year funding.
Flannery noted that safety and reliability issues have mounted in past years, resulting in declining ridership. WMATA management, industry experts, and regional stakeholders had earlier reached a consensus that a minimum of $500 million per year in new funding, shared according to existing formulas, is needed to avoid further deterioration of the system.”