By: Roxanne Feige

Metro service and fare improvements aim to attract more riders

July 1st, 2023 marked the beginning of a new fiscal year for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) and the new budget supports increased service and simplified fares that are designed to drive increases in ridership.

Metro’s planned service changes respond to post-pandemic travel patterns by providing more frequent and reliable service at all times of the day on all days of the week. On the rail side, Metro is set to run more train service than it has at any other time in its 47-year history, with increased rail frequencies coming to nearly every line. Most Metrorail service changes will be implemented during the summer and fall of 2023 as more 7000-series railcars and operators become available. Once fully implemented, 75 percent of rail customer trips will have service every six minutes or better. On the bus side, Metrobus frequencies also will increase along 68 routes, with popular high frequency bus network expanding to 21 lines, providing riders 6 percent more service than last summer. This level of bus service also exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 4%. A new initiative also allows Metrobus riders to request courtesy bus stops between official stops between the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., in an effort to increase rider safety.

In addition to increasing service, Metro is also implementing new and simplified fares. For example, Metrorail customers will be charged the same distance-based fare all day on weekdays before 9:30pm. This means that those who travel the longest distances on Metrorail will experience maximum Metrorail fares of $6 on weekdays and $2 on late nights and weekends – and will no longer be subject to weekday peak and off-peak fares. Regular Metrobus fares will remain $2 per trip, but for MetroAccess, the maximum fare will be capped at $4 per trip. Further, Metro is launching a first-time region-wide income-qualified fare program that offers customers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) a 50 percent discount on Metrorail and Metrobus trips. This discount will reduce the cost of a bus trip to just $1 and rail fare to as little as $1 and no more than $3 depending on how distance travelled.

You can find up to date information on Metro service and fares at www.wmata.com.

 Federal funding supports transportation improvements in our region

Funding for bus electrification

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced the winners of the FY23 Low- and No-Emission and Bus and Bus Facilities program grant awards. In total, the FTA grant awards provide $1.7 billion in funding, authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in support of transit projects in 46 states and territories. This highly competitive funding will help transit agencies buy 1,700 buses — nearly half of these buses will be zero-emission models, which will more than double the number of zero-emission transit buses on America’s roadways.

Several of these grant awards will support the roll-out of zero-emission battery-electric buses in our region, including:

•  $104 million to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) to support the purchase of 100 zero-emission electric buses, upgrade its Cinder Bed Road Bus Division (in Lorton, VA) to support these new buses, and develop a workforce training program for drivers, mechanics, and first responders to ensure safe and efficient operations of the fleet. This project will help Metro achieve its goals of having a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2042. Two other WMATA bus garages (Northern and Bladensburg) are currently being reconstructed to be able to house zero-emission buses. Metro is partnering with Fairfax County on the conversion of the Cinder Bed Road bus facility. The county plans to use part of the complex to house and charge its all-electric bus rapid transit vehicles that will run from Fort Belvoir to the Huntington Metro station by 2030.
• $24 million to the City of Alexandria to upgrade the DASH transit system and purchase 14 additional battery-electric buses and the charging equipment to support the new vehicles, which will help the City achieve its goal of transitioning the fleet to 100% zero-emissions by 2037. The funding will also provide workforce training to operate and maintain the upgraded fleet.
• $39.9 million to the University of Maryland to help transition the UM-Shuttle fleet from diesel to electric. The funds will be used to purchase 35 electric buses, charging stations, associated infrastructure renovations, and training for bus drivers and maintenance staff operating and servicing the buses.

Transit is already one of the greenest ways to travel around the region since every trip taken using transit instead of a car helps to reduce tailpipe emissions from vehicles on the road. Transitioning to zero-emission bus fleets will further help address climate change and provide for cleaner air by reducing greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions. Zero-emission vehicles also provide for a quieter and smoother ride, which will improve the overall experience for transit users.

Funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) also recently announced the winners of the FY23 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant awards. The $2.2B in grants will go to 162 road, rail, transit and port projects that support national infrastructure objectives.

Awards to our region include:

• $20 million to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to fund design and construction activities for vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements on a one-mile segment along Wheeler Road from Alabama Avenue to Southern Avenue that will enhance safety.
• $25 million to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to fund the rehabilitation and construction of six multi-use paths that fill gaps in the bicycle and pedestrian network throughout the DC area. The project will fund seven miles of new path construction, eight miles of trail rehabilitation, and safety improvements at intersections and grade crossings.
• $20 million to the Maryland Transit Administration to fund state of good repair investments at Mondawmin Transit Station that include station enhancements, complete street enhancements, pedestrian and ADA upgrades, energy storage generation, and stormwater management.
• $720,000 to the Town of Herndon, VA to develop a plan that revamps the towns’ land use and development policies, transportation network parity and enhancement, and economic and housing development policies.