Photo by yonas1

Metro’s board today caved to mounting pressure to avoid massive Metrobus service cuts and voted to make only $2.5 million worth of cuts instead of $13.6 million, reports Lena Sun in the Post. In order to make up for a predicted budget shortfall, the board voted 5-1 to dip into the agency’s so-called rainy day fund, which currently holds $13.3 million.

Instead of some 70 odd bus routes being eliminated, the following routes are the only ones that will get the ax, according to Sun:

• The L7, in Montgomery County
• The Z2, in Silver Spring
• The C7 and C9, in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

In addition, new increased Express fares of $3.10 ($3 for SmarTrip) will be charged on the J7, J9, and W19 Metrobus routes.