WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a post on Thursday that the District would be willing to provide Metro up to $200 million in extra funding for Fiscal Year 2025, which starts in July of 2024.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) made a concerning announcement in December — one that outlined a funding shortfall of $750 million in FY2025 and proposed cuts to rail service, bus service and staffing.
In her letter, Bowser asked for more assistance from Maryland and Virginia, saying that WMATA is a “ regional transportation system, which benefits current and future economic activity in the unequally sized compact jurisdictions.”
The funding that she offered was an additional sum that would be added to the District’s existing FY24 operating subsidy.
Bowser’s letter included additional proposals to address WMATA’s funding issue that she said would help avoid significant service reduction. She said that Maryland and Virginia have $150 million and $130 million commitments, respectively, that could help lessen the need to dip into a preventative maintenance fund.