$100 transit subsidy proposal to be focus of DC Council hearing Wednesday

A bill that would give DC residents $100 per month to use on SmarTrip-eligible transit is getting a public hearing Wednesday in the DC Council.

The hearing, which begins at 12 pm on Wednesday, February 23, will focus on the Metro for DC Amendment Act. Originally introduced by Councilman Charles Allen of Ward 6, 10 of the council’s 13 members have cosponsored the bill.

The legislation would allow DC residents to get up to $100 per month in transit subsidies. The amount would be replenished each month up to $100; it could not be used to pay for parking. Residents receiving other transit subsidies, such as federal employee benefits, wouldn’t be eligible.

Money to fund these programs would come from revenues that exceeded projections. In October, Allen said it could cost between $54 million and $151 million per year, the Post reported.

The subsidy would be rolled out gradually, beginning with residents with the lowest incomes and moving gradually toward those with the highest.

The bill would also create a Transit Equity Fund and require DC to put at least $10 million toward it each year. The fund could go toward service improvements for “transit priority need areas,” including new bus or Circulator lines and better frequency and infrastructure.

Learn more about the hearing and how to sign up to testify here.