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Notes: WMATA seeking public feedback on possible fare hikes

Good Friday morning, Alexandria!

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🚨 You need to know

The Potomac Yard Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, facing a $750 million budget shortfall, wants to know how folks might feel about fare increases and service cuts.

A survey about possible Metro changes is available online until Tuesday, March 5.

WMATA said in a release earlier this week that it’s considering public feedback on a series of changes to help close that gap:

Fares

  • Up to 25 percent fare increase
  • 20 percent parking rate increase

Metrobus

  • Eliminate service on 83 of 184 routes
  • Reduce service on 51 of 184 routes
  • Shorten routes with rail service

Metrorail

  • Close 10 lower ridership stations
  • Turn back every other Red Line train at Grosvenor-Strathmore and Silver Spring
  • Turn back Silver Line trains at Stadium-Armory
  • Decrease service on all lines – weekdays every 15 minutes, weekends every 20 minutes
  • Decrease Hours of operation: Close the rail system at 10pm; or
  • Keep existing rail system hours and open earlier and close later weekends: open at 6am on Saturdays and Sundays, close at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays

MetroAccess

  • Reduced service area due to a reduction in fixed route bus service
  • Approximately 20 percent of MetroAccess trips would no longer be served

Some of these cuts are part of a ‘worst case scenario’ if legislation isn’t passed to boost Metro funding. Metro General Manager Randy Clarke already said one of the more dire threats in this budget — closing ten Metro stations — is off the table if Metro gets the funding it needs.

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