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Mayor Bowser Signs Bill to Fully Fund Metro

Friday, April 13, 2018

(Washington, DC) – Mayor Bowser today signed the Dedicated Funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Emergency Act of 2018. The legislation, which matches Mayor Bowser’s proposal of $178.5 million per year in dedicated funding from Fiscal Year 2019 through Fiscal Year 2059, establishes the WMATA Dedicated Funding Fund. The fund will receive retail sales tax revenue for the purposes of dedicated funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Mayor was joined at the signing by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chairman Phil Mendelson, Ward 2 Councilmember and WMATA Board Chairman Jack Evans, District Department of Transportation Director Jeff Marootian, and WMATA General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld.

“By investing in WMATA, we are investing in the future of Washington, DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “The region has been working for years to solve the dedicated funding question, and now we finally have a path forward. With this commitment, we will get Metro back to a state of good repair so that Washingtonians have access to a safe and reliable Metro system for years to come.”

The bill, authored by Councilmember Evans, provides the District with the necessary authority to collect resources for the WMATA Dedicated Funding Fund. The FY2019 Budget will allocate the resources to meet the funding commitment.

“Achieving a dedicated funding source for Metro is truly a historic occasion. With these resources, soon, Metro will be able to adequately address deferred maintenance issues with the goal of making the system reliable and safe for riders,” said Councilmember Evans. “I want to thank my colleagues on the Council, Chairman Mendelson, and the Mayor for their hard work on reaching this achievement. To our counterparts in Maryland and Virginia, thank you for taking swift action to ensure the viability of Metro for the region.”

“It’s great that we are working with our regional partners, and I’m really pleased that the District continues to be a leader in reforming Metro for all of our region,” said Chairman Mendelson.

“We applaud Mayor Bowser for her leadership, as well as Chairman Phil Mendelson and Metro Board Chairman and Councilmember Jack Evans, on the passage of this historic legislation securing dedicated funding to invest in the future of Metro,” said WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Wiedefeld. “On behalf of our customers and the communities who depend on Metro’s success, we are profoundly grateful.”

Mayor Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and Financial Plan proposes funding the District’s commitment through several funding streams which will remain dedicated, sustainable, and competitive through the duration of the fund.

The Dedicated Funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Emergency Act of 2018 continues the District’s leadership in getting WMATA the dedicated funding necessary to get the system back to a state of good repair.