Silver Line operation could be impacted by budget shortfall

By Audrey Carpenter

Almost a year to the day it opened, Metro’s Silver Line extension could already be facing interruption to service, according to the Washington Area Metro Transit Authority (WMATA).

WMATA, which manages Metro, opened six new stops on the Silver Line extension, a 23-mile expansion program, on Nov. 15, 2022. They include Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn. The expansion was a highly touted benefit for Washington Dulles International Airport travelers, afactor in Amazon’s decision to build its H2 headquarters in Arlington, and the possibility of a future Washington Commanders stadium in the region.

But because of a $750 million shortfall in its operating budget, the largest in its history, WMATA says it may have to take extreme measures into its hands to come into financial good standing.

On Thursday, Dec. 14, WMATA CEO Randy Clark will present his 2025 budget proposal to Metro’s governing board. See budget proposal here, particularly pages 30-42 which highlight potential cuts to Metro’s operation: https://www.wmata.com/about/board/meetings/board-pdfs/upload/4A-GM-Proposed-FY25-Budget-11Dec23.pdf

Federal relief funds from COVID helped navigate Metro through the pandemic to keep losses at bay, but those funds are now depleted. The governors of Virginia and Maryland have not yet passed their own budgets and it is unknown how much each state might contribute to Metro’s deficit. Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and the federal government each contribute and have input over how Metro manages its budget.

Metro cannot run at a deficit statutorily. It doesn’t have a source of dedicated funding to run trains and buses, instead relying on each local jurisdiction to contribute, instead of a direct source of revenue like a sales tax or property tax.

Metro’s governing board will decide on the 2025 proposed budget most likely in the Spring, Clark said. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is set to introduce his 2025 budget to the General Assembly later this month. Virginia operates under a two-year budget cycle.

Metro says in a worst case scenario, it could be forced to do the following:

• Boost fare and parking fees by 20%
• Close 10 Metrorail stations with the lowest ridership which includes the Silver Line
• Reduce service on all rail lines, cut out certain lines’ suburban service entirely and cut half the system’s bus routes
• Cut nearly 2,300 full-time positions
• Freeze salary and wage increases for all employees, even as major collective bargaining agreements covering the majority of Metro’s employees come up for renegotiation in 2024
• Begin a hiring freeze in January
• Divert capital dollars earmarked for preventative maintenance to operations instead