Nine community organizations ask for an equitable Metro budget

Riders and local leaders are currently speaking up about next year’s WMATA budget, which proposes fare increases, more late-night service, free transfers between bus and rail, some bus increases, and a large number of bus cuts. WMATA has been holding hearings this week and is accepting comments through March 2.

At the beginning of 2020, we wrote about how Greater Greater Washington is committing more boldly to look at urbanist issues through an equity lens. As advocates, we often talk about the lack of representation from low-income residents, people of color, workers, and young people in conversations about transportation policy. We talk about the accessibility of public meetings for students, low-wage workers, or people with children. We and others saw this budget as one opportunity to bring the voices of the “unheard” to the table.

Over the last month, GGWash has been working with Collective Action for Safe Spaces, DC Central Kitchen, DC Education Coalition for Change, House of Ruth, ONE DC, So Others Might Eat, UNITE HERE Local 25, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to ensure that WMATA’s budget reflects the diversity of its riders’ needs. Amid a number of good proposals were some that we felt would be harmful to already vulnerable riders.

We wanted to lift up the good, call out the bad, and ask WMATA to better explain their thorniest proposal – changing bus service for thousands of riders. We signed a letter with our partners making clear how the FY 2021 budget stands to impact vulnerable Metro riders. Here’s what we had to say. You can give your own thoughts on WMATA’s online survey

We support the expansion of late-night rail service. Past reductions in late-night service have caused significant hardship for the many hourly wage workers across our region, reducing access to economic opportunity. Taking a ride-hailing service home could cost much of a day’s wages for many workers, especially those who live in parts of the region that are more distant from their jobs due to the high cost of housing.

While WMATA’s proposal falls short of what those who work non-traditional hours – like hospitality workers – need, we see this partial restoration as a first step towards a more ambitious expansion of Metro’s operating hours. Piecemeal approaches like the Lyft subsidy or simply restoring service back to pre-SafeTrack hours will continue to leave too many workers unable to access Metro to get to and from work. We urge the Board to accept this proposal, as well as begin developing plans for expanded weeknight rail service that goes beyond 12 am.

We support free transfers between bus and rail. In the Bus Transformation Project’s survey, low-income riders – who account for almost half of Metrobus riders – ranked free transfers as their top priority for improving bus service, and it was the second highest priority among all riders.

Among top transit systems, WMATA has the highest penalty for transferring between bus and rail operated by the same agency. This transfer penalty discourages bus ridership by workers and also leads many lower-income riders to take long bus rides instead of a faster train due to the cost.

Ending the transfer penalty also makes the system fairer. Currently, Maryland and Virginia commuters who use MARC and VRE can transfer to bus and rail without being penalized. Riders who are able to afford Monthly Unlimited Passes also circumvent the transfer penalty. We strongly urge the Board to accept this proposal.

We support a $12 weekly regional bus pass. We appreciate WMATA’s proposal to bring down the cost of weekly bus passes. Riders knowing they have the ability to ride the bus without the limitation of the 2-hour transfer window gives riders the security to go to grocery stores, appointments, school visits and other vital trips without fear of an additional and potentially unaffordable costs. We also encourage the agency to invest more in making pass options more visible and accessible for riders.

We oppose any overall reduction in bus service. It is abundantly clear that WMATA needs to better explain its proposed changes to bus service, but the agency ought not make adjustments that result in an estimated loss of 4.9 million trips. Lower frequencies even on “low-performing” routes can make already unreliable access even less reliable, where a missed bus can mean being late to a shift, missing a doctor’s appointment, or losing out on important instruction.

These changes were announced in a way that has made it very difficult for transportation experts, let alone non-experts, to understand. We ask that WMATA provide more details about this proposal in a way that allows the average rider to better evaluate them.

We oppose a cash surcharge for bus boardings and SmarTrip loading. This proposal will harm the lowest-income riders who cannot afford to carry balances on their SmarTrips, do not have credit cards, and/or who cannot safeguard SmarTrip cards because of their personal circumstances.

If WMATA wishes to encourage jurisdictions to expand access or engage direct service organizations in an analysis of ways to reduce barriers to SmarTrip, we would welcome that. But this proposal, being advanced as part of a budget, will only amount to an extra charge for riders who already have the most difficulty affording transit service.

We oppose any new surcharges on MetroExtra or airport routes. As WMATA commits itself to the Bus Transformation Project, the agency should stray from measures that make it more expensive for riders to choose the bus. Proposals to charge riders an additional $1.00 on a number of routes are explicitly counterproductive to the principles the board just adopted. Moreover, proposals to hike fares on airport routes are harmful to workers, residents, and travelers who cannot afford a personal vehicle or choose to live car-free.

We oppose the proposed changes to early morning rail service and fares. People making it to or from work early in the morning and young people responsible for ensuring their siblings get to school on time; these are people who should not be penalized with longer wait times for transit service and higher fares.

GGWash and our partners found common ground on one of the most important policy areas to residents, workers, and visitors in Washington – how people move around. Educators, labor leaders, direct service providers, and advocates agree that for far too long people on the margins have been left out of transportation conversations. What we all realize is that when there is great public transit service, or when it is safe and convenient to walk or bike not only do the underserved benefit but the city and region will do better. With our newfound partners, we will continue working toward a transportation vision that advances equity and inclusivity throughout the Washington region.