Area elected officials gathered this weekend for the annual leadership retreat of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) to focus on addressing the fiscal challenges of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and ensuring the Metro system is in a strong position to serve the region.

COG Board members convened alongside other stakeholders in the region’s transit network, including leadership from the legislative and executive branches of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, setting the stage for a multi-pronged, coordinated effort to respond to challenges identified by Metro.

In a presentation to COG officials, WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke highlighted major improvements in the system’s performance and customer satisfaction as well as the looming funding deficit facing the system as federal transit relief expires, costs have risen with inflation, and weekday ridership patterns have changed following shifts to commuting habits. COG officials agreed in a united front recognizing Metro is central to our region’s success and that failure to meet this challenge is not an option. 

COG Board of Directors Chair and Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart said:

"Our recent discussion was a first step in what will be a major undertaking in the months ahead to ensure the financial sustainability of our Metro system. Metro is key to more than our region’s mobility—it’s also vital to our economic recovery and continued growth and development. It connects people, communities, and job centers and attracts new employers to our region. Without Metro, that recovery and growth can't happen."

COG Board of Directors Vice Chair and District of Columbia Councilmember Charles Allen said:

"There is good news. Metrobus ridership has largely recovered, weekend Metrorail ridership is surging, and while still lagging from pre-COVID levels, weekday Metrorail ridership continues to build. But we know the financial challenges facing WMATA won’t be solved with ridership alone. WMATA is going to have to identify some savings, and at the same time, there are significant investments the region must make to our most valuable, shared asset."

COG Board of Directors Vice Chair and Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk said:

"We are seeing congestion on our roads back to pre-pandemic levels, and with more regional growth expected, the only path forward is to provide people with high quality, reliable transit services on bus and rail. In addition, Metro supports our other top regional priorities, such as reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and advancing equity by providing affordable travel options and expanding opportunity to jobs, housing, and other amenities.”

COG, as the association of 24 area jurisdictions representing about 6 million residents, is committed to providing regional leadership to meet the challenges WMATA faces. From 2016-2018, COG helped the region forge consensus and lay the groundwork for the Metro dedicated capital funding agreement along with public, private, and civic sector partners and created the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission on behalf of the states. 

Addressing the current challenges will take shared action by the leaders of the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the federal government. COG will spend the next several months partnering across jurisdictions and with WMATA leadership to identify paths forward and work toward solutions.