The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority needs nearly half a billion dollars in funding to maintain its current level of service, General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. announced last week.
The needed $489 million would fund 44 different improvements spread throughout the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess paratransit service systems, according to a WMATA press release.
Metro customers should not be worried about their safety before WMATA makes the repairs, according to Cathy Asato, a spokeswoman for the agency.
"None of these things are safety risks," she said. "We built this system 32 years ago, and now it's showing its age."
Erin Fitzpatrick, a freshman in the School of International Service, said she felt the Metrorail system needed repairs because its infrastructure is aging.
"If they say it's not a safety issue, then its just rehab," she said.
WMATA workers will replace wooden track ties and fasteners to prevent fires, upgrade power, replace old MetroAccess vehicles and add security cameras to buses. One-third of the costs would cover repairs needed to address years of water damage, according to the press release.
The water damage is largely unavoidable because much of the Metrorail system is deep underground, Asato said.
"The water-related damage is because of the nature of the system," she said.
The agency's January fare increase will not cover any of the $489 million, Asato said.
"This $489 million is capital costs," she said. "It goes to maintaining our infrastructure. The fare increases go to our operating budget, which funds everyday costs."
The major issue with Metro's budget is that local governments provide most of the system's funding, according to Asato. Maryland, Virginia and D.C. are the principal funders of Metro, she said.
Metro is the only major transit system in the country without a significant source of regular funding. The local governments that help fund Metro are also facing budget constraints. To solve this problem, WMATA is now asking the federal government to help cover the costs, Asato said.
Matthew Killip, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business, said the federal government should give Metro the money it needs.
"If Metro finds they need this money in addition to the revenue from the increased fares, then I think it's important that the federal government funds them," he said.
If Metro doesn't get some of this funding, it would be more difficult to run the system as it currently functions, Asato said.
"There would be more delays, more breakdowns," she said.
