Sharon Bulova, chair of Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors, has been closely following and advocating for Metro funding in the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond and sent us this dispatch.
Often called “America’s Subway,” Washington Metrorail is the heart of our region’s transportation network. Our nation’s capital deserves a world class transit system, and we have the opportunity to get Metro back on track.
The Metrorail system has served the Washington, DC region for over 40 years and is integral to the functioning of the federal government, moving residents to major employment centers, and boosting the economic success of our area and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. Any massive infrastructure network requires consistent maintenance to provide excellence, but maintenance has not kept up with an aging system. A priority for WMATA, including leaders in Virginia, Maryland and DC who serve on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), is to restore the Metrorail system to a state of good repair. To do this, it is imperative to secure dedicated and reliable funding to sustain Metrorail’s and the region’s success into the future.
I chaired COG’s Metro Strategy Group and deliberated with my colleagues throughout the region on potential funding solutions for our struggling Metrorail system. We adopted a set of principles that call for permanent and dedicated funding to ensure the long-term stability of Metro. A thorough review by regional chief financial officers and county executives agreed that $500 million per year in additional, dedicated funding is needed, as well as governance reform, safety improvements, operational efficiencies, and funding participation by all stakeholders (including the federal government). These recommendations are incorporated into our principles.
I am pleased that the Virginia General Assembly is engaged in addressing Metro’s needs. Both Senator Dick Saslaw and Delegate Tim Hugo have sponsored bills to provide funding for Metro and address governance reform. Senator Saslaw’s bill provides $154 million per year (Virginia’s share of funding needed under the existing WMATA formula) and more closely addresses the funding needs outlined in the adopted principles. This vital issue continues to move forward since both chambers in the General Assembly have approved bills. As the 2018 Virginia General Assembly session nears conclusion, now is the time to finalize an agreement that provides sufficient resources and reforms to deliver on our commitment of maintaining a world class transit system. Our region is counting on it.
Sharon Bulova chairs the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
In light of the safety and maintenance issues that Metro is now addressing with SafeTrack, some members of the media have said that instead of building the Silver Line, WMATA should have fixed the rest of the system. As one of the leaders that helped make the Silver Line happen, I’d like to respond.
Photo by Dan Malouff.
Expansion and maintenance are not mutually exclusive when you do them both responsibly, and it is important to note that WMATA did not build or pay for the Silver Line extension. The Silver Line was financed outside of the WMATA budget, and funding to build the extension could not have been used instead for Metro maintenance.
Financing for construction of the Silver Line comes from multiple sources, including special tax districts in Fairfax County paid by commercial and industrial landowners along the Dulles corridor, motorists using the Dulles Toll Road, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the federal government, Loudoun County and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Silver Line took decades of planning and spanned numerous elected officials and leaders. The project almost died a few times, and the 2014 grand opening was a tremendous feat.
This extension of Metro has served as a major underpinning of economic growth and redevelopment in Tysons, spurring over 100 million square feet of new approved development within a half-mile of the new stations. In terms of growth in the commercial tax base, Tysons increased by a rate of 3.1% in FY 2016 and 10.8% in FY 2017.
By 2050, Fairfax County plans to attract 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs to Tysons. Riders using the Silver Line from Phase I (Tysons/Reston) and Phase II (Dulles Airport and beyond) will have access to a one-seat ride to downtown DC and a safe and convenient connection to the rest of the region. This increase in connectivity and access to Metro is why ensuring the safety and reliability of the systen is critical to our region’s success.
Photo by Dan Malouff.
Past WMATA leaders failed to make safety the top priority and neglected to do major maintenance as well. That led to tragedy and, eventually, the SafeTrack maintenance plan we see today. SafeTrack is impacting all Metro riders this year, but the heavy dose of maintenance medicine will shore up the entire system.
Paul Wiedefeld is focused on getting Metro back on its feet and transforming WMATA’s culture into one that is safety-first. I believe this generation will be known for repairing, revitalizing, reinvesting, and reinvigorating the infrastructure that past generations built. While SafeTrack is placing a temporary burden on commuters, it’s necessary and in many cases is being completed ahead of schedule. I believe this bodes well for WMATA’s future.
I will be working with my regional counterparts through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Greater Washington Board of Trade to identify dedicated funding for WMATA. We must prepare for the future and we must do so safely, responsibly, and consistently. Our regional economy depends on Metro’s success.