For months the future fate of Metro service has been called out, but recently Metro General Manager Randy Clarke has called the situation dire and has laid out what service could look like if something is not done.

By Lynn Norusis
January 2024

If a $750M shortfall is not accounted for in the budget by first half of 2024, 10 metro stations and half of the current bus lines could close, all stations would shut down by 10 p.m. each night and train schedules would need to be adjusted. Plus, fares could go up by approximately 20 percent.

Dec. 31, 2023, five DC Metro stations lost station managers after 9 p.m. on weekdays—Farragut North, Farragut West, Judiciary Square, L’Enfant Plaza, and Smithsonian—and weekends the stations, with the exception of Smithsonian, lost a station manger for the entire day. Metro will continue to cut back on station managers at other stops.

The 10 stations that could be shut down have not been identified but will be determined based on ridership numbers. Metro is also proposing to cut about 2,200 jobs.

Metro does not have a dedicated source of funding, such as sales o gas taxes, as other major transit operations do. Instead, Metro is funded through the DMV jurisdictions and most recently through COVID-19 funds, which are about to run out. Currently, the Commonwealth of Virginia has a state law that sets a 3% cap on the growth of Virginia’s annual payment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

PROPOSED CHANGES

Rail System

• All stations would close at 10 p.m.
• Ten stations would be shut down completely with the final decision based on ridership numbers.
• Train frequency would be reduced.

Bus System

• Metro could eliminate nearly half of its bus lines—67 of the existing 135 lines would be eliminated and 41 lines would see service reductions.
• A third of bus service would be cut across all jurisdictions.

Fares

• Possible 20% increase in fares and parking fees—current max fare on Metrorail is $6, and the proposal would cap fares at $7.20.

Jobs

• In January 2024, Metro plans to freeze salary and wage increases.
• In July 2024, 2,286 employees would be laid off.

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