Metro Wants More $ From Region

At its work session Tuesday, the Falls Church City Council was alerted to the fact that Northern Virginia taxpayers may soon be burdened with a significant new cost for maintaining the core infrastructure of the Metro system.

Assistant City Manager Wyatt Shields told the Council that none of the cost would be required had a transportation funding referendum passed last year, and that delaying approval of the new funding would result in a markedly higher cost to maintain the system.

The Council will consider formal approval of Falls Church's total $5.2 million funding share (over 20 years) of a total $3.3 billion "Metro Matters" capital program at its Sept. 27 meeting. The annual cost to the City's operating budget will vary from year to year, but peak at a new $500,000 a year, tripling the City's current operating support for Metro, in 2009.

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA), which runs the Metro system, says it needs the City's commitment by Oct. 4 in order for its own budget bodies to approve the financial plan prior to a Nov. 14, when existing options on the procurement of 120 rail cars will expire. Should that deadline not be met, the cost to taxpayers will be an additional $90 million.

Funds will go to four areas of capital improvement for Metro: 1. general infrastructural renewal programs, 2. 120 new rail cars to replace worn out cars and expand the capacity on the Red and Orange lines, 3. 185 new buses, including for replacement purposes, and 4. security.

Members of WMATA will answer questions to the Council at its next work session Sept. 20 prior to its Sept. 27 vote.