Photo by Chris Rief aka Spodie OdieWMATA plans to scrounge up $36 million from a combination of stimulus funds, inaugural reimbursements, surplus reserves and insurance money to deal with its widening budget gap for the 2010 fiscal year, both the Post and the Examiner are reporting.
The drop-off in ridership since the June 22 Red Line crash has left Metro scrambling for a way to make it through the current fiscal year, which ends in June. This new budget proposal doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect to see fare hikes in the near future, however. The gap for the 2011 fiscal year could end up being even bigger, and fare increases continue to be on the table beginning July 1.
