On Tuesday, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that is set to shove billions of dollars more in funding to the under-maintained DC-area Metro rail system. The area’s Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly (VA-11) proposed the legislation that will continue the current federal funding plan of $150 million per year for capital projects and add an additional $50 million per year to support Metro operations, including $2 billion in funds over the next 20 years, according to Washington Post. However, there are no legislative changes to the workings of the management of the Metro system.
The funding would also be sent to Metro in part with a more powerful, independent inspector general. Though, under the current management, maintenance on track and facilities has gone by the wayside as conditions for riders have been plagued for years.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has claimed additional money is needed above the current funding levels to fix rail systems where maintenance and repairs have been put off for decades. Though, in recent years, WMATA has received additional funding, but conditions have remained the same, according to riders.
Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (VA-10) filed a bill last year that would have revitalized the decrepit rail system. Comstock opposes the latest Democratic proposal, one which does not have a clear future in the House. According to a press release from her office, she stated:
“It’s unfortunate that in the nine years it took Gerry Connolly to write an eight page bill, he failed to include any of the substantial management, financial or pension reforms advocated on a bipartisan basis by numerous transportation experts and Metro advocates who have been working for years to seriously improve and reform the system. Throwing billions more at Metro without defined reforms is a dead on arrival strategy. In addition, imposing a new regional tax to fund a broken system has already been soundly rejected by elected officials in both parties in Virginia and Maryland.”
In 2017, Comstock introduced the METRO Accounability and Reform Act, the largest reform to the Northern Virginia and DC-area Metro system since its inception. The bill was favored greatly by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Metro Reform Coalition Support.
Connolly’s bill clear throws money at problem that has existed for decades. Without new management, pension reforms, or different financial programs, all of which were included in Comstock’s bill, WMATA and the Metro rail system will continue to be mismanaged. Derailments and un-maintained tracks and facilities have been a top complain for those who regularly ride the transportation network around the DC-area.
