AU students who travel around D.C. on public transportation could be faced with Metro service cuts next fall due to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's projected budget gap for 2010.
On Jan. 8, WMATA issued a press release in which the agency predicted a $176 million budget deficit - a gap of more than 13 percent that has resulted from recent decreases in revenue and increases in expenses for Metro.
Metro revenue dropped last year by $17 million due to a loss in jurisdictional subsidies, which annually provide 40 percent of Metro's operating budget, according to an October press release.
"We recognize that our jurisdictional partners are being forced to tighten their budget belts," said John B. Catoe, Jr., Metro's General Manager, in the October press release.
In addition, on Jan. 8, WMATA reported a rise in last year's expenses by $159 million due to stock market losses, high energy and labor costs and increased ridership.
Despite a net increase in ridership, WMATA will not be proposing a fare increase, according to Lisa Farbstein, WMATA's public relations director.
Riding the Metro frequently could begin to take a toll on some students' wallets, according to Jeff Wilson, a junior in the Kogod School of Business who lives off campus and interns twice a week.
"I use the Metro probably five days a week and make about 10 trips per week, so my Metro bill is not small," he said.
Some riders may be willing to pay extra in order to keep Metro services at their current quality level.
"I think that if the Metro is truly overwhelmed by ridership, then maybe a fare increase is necessary," said Mike Wittman, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and a frequent Metro customer.
Wittman said Metro's fares are low compared to transit systems in other cities, such as Boston, where there is a fixed fare of $2.
"There may be room for increase," he said.
Instead of increasing fares, WMATA plans to make a $103 million cut in projected expenses and make a $73 million service cut, which WMATA has not done in 13 years, according to the Jan. 8 press release.
Though the service cuts are described as a "last resort" measure in the press release, Farbstein said making these cuts is a likely course of action.
Jack Freund, a sophomore in Kogod, interns three times a week and uses Metro for a 45-minute commute.
"I go straight to my internship from class, so it's important that I get there on time," he said. "If Metro service cuts resulted in running fewer trains, for example, I am still expected to be at work on time."
AU students' commutes may not be affected by the service cuts.
The impact of the service cuts cannot be determined at the present time, Farbstein said.
"It is too soon to predict what the impact of unknown cuts will be," she said.
WMATA will hold public hearings in March in order to allow riders to express their preference on what services should be cut, according to the press release.
"Once the cuts are known, riders will know [their] impact," Farbstein said.
Freund said he thinks WMATA could stand to shut down some of the escalators and have people walk up and down to Metrorail stations.
"I don't think the short escalators necessarily need to be in operation, and electricity costs would be reduced if short escalators were halted," he said.
Wilson said Metrobus routes should be cut and made more efficient.
"As it is, the buses come so few and far between when compared to their supposed operating schedules," he said. "I would cut certain rural bus routes and run more routes into Northern Virginia where so many employment opportunities exist for AU students."
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