WMATA is going to seek more money from local governments to cover a giant $41.7 million “spending gap” in order to avoid raising train and bus fares for a third year in a row. All the members of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s board have indicated that they do not want to increase the burden on the commuters, the AP reports via the Post.

Covering the entire shortfall would mean a 10.4 percent increase in the subsidy the District of Columbia, Maryland and northern Virginia counties served by Metro pay every year to operate the transit system.

WMATA is unique amoung transit agencies of its size because it doesn’t have a dedicated funding source.

The federal government has decided to contribute $404 million dollars to cover needed capital improvements, $260 million more than it has in past years, and that is still in limbo because Congress still has not pushed the massive surface transportation appropriations bill through to the White House.

The desire to settle on a plan sooner rather than later to cover the sending gap is all in anticipation to meet a November deadline to purchase 50 new rail cars (which would allow for eight-car trains). If there is a delay, the rail car purchase would be forced to wait for two years.