D.C. Leaders Favor More Money For Metro: Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — City leaders pledged this week to increase the District's funding of the Metro system by $178 million per year, according to media reports. In her State of the District speech Thursday night, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city will support Virginia's plan to create a permanent funding stream for the regional transit agency, radio station WTOP reported.

The District would follow a plan passed last weekend by Virginia's General Assembly, which agreed to provide $154 million per year in new funding for Metro, WTOP reported. The new funds are contingent on the District and Maryland paying their share to boost Metro's capital funding by around $500 million per year.

Maryland’s House of Delegates recently passed a plan to provide $150 million more per year in new funding.

The new funding would help Metro increase maintenance and repairs to the aging rail system, which has seen declines in recent years in service and ridership.

Phil Mendelson, chairman of the D.C. Council, announced Thursday that he will support the boost in the city's annual funding of Metro, WTOP reported. The plan requires the District to pay more than Maryland or Virginia because of a number of factors, including the city's greater share of Metro stations, ridership and miles of track. (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Image: WMATA