Pony Up, D.C. Or Else!
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5 responses to “Pony Up, D.C. Or Else!”
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The thing is , if you underfund METRO’s actual costs – you end up forcing METRO management to rob Peter to pay Paul as an institutional process and bad stuff happens… including under funding of pensions and putting off “good repair” maintenance which eventually “explodes” downstream in an accident or other crisis/disaster.
METRO needs a regular base of funding that cannot be screwed with on an annual or semi-annual basis. Keep them accountable. Do the inspector general stuff… keep their fiscal feet to the fire but don’t set them up for failure on a discretionary budget basis.
It’s ludicrous to talk about Uber or autonomous cars as competitors when metro runs 500-800 people every 4-5 minutes at rush hour – that’s almost 10,000 people an hour. Imagine how many Uber or Autonomous cars would be needed to transport that many people – at rush hour road congestion.
What METRO shows – is a very similar thing to what other metro areas in Virginia that consist of multiple jurisdictions wo cannot and will not collaborate on transportation needs.
Look at Hampton Roads – who could not figure out how to agree over a decade on more on what to do about bridges and tunnels and finally VDOT had to step in and impose a plan.
The same thing is true of NoVa. None of the jurisdictions had any real solution that they’d all agree on for commuting congestion so VDOT steps in with dynamic tolling.
There is a stark difference between how VDOT is able to take leadership when localities won’t – and METRO – which is essentially held hostage to petty politics and just plain irresponsibility and willful ignorance of what must be done to keep a system running.
If the jurisdictions had that kind of control of VDOT – roads would be a disaster similar to METRO.
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This probably exposes that DC was part of the funding problem. DC was looking for a formula (1 cent sales tax increase to the whole region) that would increase the Va./Md. portion of total funding. Now it makes more sense.
On WTOP they said 43% of ridership is federal government, but the Feds are not prepared to pony up any more funding right now. Gov Hogan said it was not easy to get Va. and Md. funding, so now DC needs to step up to the plate.
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re: Feds ponying up money…
I dunno guy… you might want to read this:
http://www.whs.mil/mass-transportation-benefit-program
Mass Transportation Benefit Program
Program Summary
The Mass Transportation Benefit Program was established in October 2000 and is offered to eligible employees and military service members….Under this program, participating employees in the National Capital Region (NCR) receive “transit passes” in amounts equal to their personal commuting costs, not to exceed $260 per month ”
that’s pretty substantial Federal support…
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It’s not all money for federal employees to take Metrorail or Metrobus. An employee can chose free parking too. That’s what my wife does. With her Prius and with time considerations built in, she’s better off driving.
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DC’s coffers have run dry, all drained to empty by the costs of building statutes in DC public squares in honor of DC’s Mayor of Life Marion Barry.
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