As Metro faces a $250 million budget gap, its board of directors is planning to vote on a series of cost-saving measures that include schedule changes and service cuts. Among the cuts are two bus lines that run through West Alexandria—the 21 and the 8—which serve a large number of support staff at the Pentagon, according to Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson.

Wilson urged WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld to reconsider the change in a letter.

“While we understand these routes may not be the most productive, they do serve a high share of low-income and households of color, who may work as janitorial or other support staff at the Pentagon and use the Pentagon to connect to other work centers in the region.”

Wilson urged Wiedefeld to make the cuts temporary until ridership returns to pre-pandemic levels, and cited that many of the staff who ride the affected lines are not eligible for commuter benefits. The letter also suggests limiting transfer fees to trains as another solution.

DCist/WAMU has reached out to Metro for comment.

Metro says it doesn’t expect ridership will get over 50% pre-pandemic levels which will affect fare revenue by over $500 million. Federal funding through the CARES Act can keep Metro running through the rest of the year, but the transit system will need more help if ridership remains low in 2021.