Photo by Kevin H.

Tomorrow morning, the WMATA board’s Finance and Administration Committee will review a plan to significantly widen the intervals between Metrorail trains on weekends in order to close a $72 million budget gap without raising fares.

These weekend service cuts are not as severe as originally proposed. Back in February, the board floated the idea of halting late night service on Friday and Saturday evenings. That option — like other possible service cuts like closing station entrances or slicing up bus service — is no longer on the table. But according to Dr. Gridlock, the board is pushing a plan which would increase intervals between trains on Saturday and Sundays to as long as 25 minutes. If adopted by the board, the longer headways would start in September.

But not everyone is in favor of closing the gap with only service cuts. Transit advocacy groups have written a letter to WMATA requesting that parking fees be increased in lieu of a reduction in weekend rail service. Others, like Michael Perkins, are wondering why Metro isn’t presenting a “menu” of gap closing options to the public like they did last year.

Public hearings on the service cuts — including non-budget related cuts like the proposed elimination of the K1, N8 and E6 bus routes — will be held between May 16 and 20.