A Metro train runs along a bridge.

Tyrone Turner / WAMU

Metro’s board is putting its drastic budget and service cuts plan out to for public comment January 16 through February 9.

The transit agency has already heard overwhelmingly negative comments about the cuts that would begin July 1. They include eliminating weekend train service, reducing bus service to 45% pre-pandemic levels and closing 19 stations.

Metro has been pretty clear that it has one realistic path to plugging its $500 million budget hole and avoiding the service cuts: Congressional aid. But it appears the latest bipartisan, bicameral proposal that would include $15 billion for public transit agencies is not getting support from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, according to Politico.

Still, Metro board members say if funds do arrive, starting public comment soon will allow board members to find out what the public thinks is the worst of the cuts.

“We obviously know public input will be negative,” said board member Matt Letourneau. “People will not like this.

“But out of all these bad choices, which are the worst?… We have to be able to weigh them against each other.”

That information could help them make the most informed decisions when the budget is formally voted on in March. In the meantime, Metro officials are still pressing Congress for funding. Metro also needs to give the union 60 days notice before they lay off workers.

“I hope Congress is listening,” Letourneau said. “Not just to us, not just to New York, not just Chicago, but the riders who rely on transit to get to their jobs.

“(Congress) needs to do their job.”

The board voted 6-2 to start the public comment period. Board members Stephanie Gidigbi and Michael Goldman voted no, saying the budget process should slow down until they know for sure what will happen at the Capitol. Goldman said vaccine distribution could be widespread during the proposed budget timeline, too.

“We should know more about the situation until we send this out to the public,” he said.

The pandemic has ravaged Metro ridership, which is down about 80% on rail and 50-60% on bus. Metro officials hope public confidence in riding transit returns as the coronavirus vaccine rolls out.

General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said the cuts would hurt the region when it needs Metro most after the pandemic.

“I do not want to do any of these actions (on the cuts),” Wiedefeld said. “But now we need to take action. (Metro) must have a balanced budget. If funding does come, we can add service back and pull back on layoffs.

“I wish we were in a different place, but we’re not. We must deal with what is before us.”

Gidigbi urged Metro to go above and beyond its normal outreach process, given how drastic the cuts are and given COVID’s impact on getting public feedback in person. She wants Metro to reach the riders most impacted by the cuts.

The public will be able to submit comments online starting January 16. Online hearings will take place the week of February 1st. Other surveys and engagement will happen in-person at stations and bus stops and by mail.

In other Metro news:

  • The second phase of the Silver Line from Wiehle-Reston to Ashburn could potentially launch in fall 2021, but many outstanding construction issues and safety checklists must be addressed first. The construction companies building the line say it will be substantially complete by the end of April. But Laura Mason, head of capital delivery, says a number of new “significant and unresolved” issues have cropped up and aren’t on track to be addressed. Among the issues are water seeping into station platforms because of concrete paver joints failing, and thousands of track fasteners that have had to be replaced. Mason says Metro is concerned about the durability of some aspects of the project, saying the track fasteners should last 20-30 years. Metro doesn’t want to approve a line that could have additional maintenance beyond what should normally be required. Letourneau, who represents Loudoun County, says he’s frustrated every time they have a briefing on Silver Line Phase 2, and hear about new problems and more potential delays.
  • Metro updated its service guidelines to ensure equity in bus service across the region. These plans haven’t been revised for about 20 years. Metro added new metrics, including availability, route design, comfort, reliability, productivity and cost-effectiveness. Each line is graded based on those factors and averaged for an overall grade. About 15% of lines score C or below. Those routes with lower scores “may need some attention” according to Metro EVP for strategy and planning Tom Webster.

  • Metro approved two tweaks to station names. West Falls Church will have its secondary name “UVA” removed from signage and maps as the University of Virginia no longer has a location in the area. The Potomac Yard station, being built between National Airport and Braddock Road stations, is slated to open in 2022. Metro formalized that name and added “VT” in recognition of Virginia Tech’s new campus nearby. These proved less controversial than two other recent renamings that changed Prince George’s Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing. Some surveyed about the change said it attempts to gentrify the area around the stop. Tyson’s Corner was also renamed to just “Tysons.”
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