Metro proposed a way to close a $154 million budget gap Thursday that includes eliminating dozens of “duplicate” bus lines, closing some station fare gates on nights and weekends, and increasing the time between when buses and trains arrive.
Although less severe than earlier ideas that included stopping weekday trains at 10 p.m., the more than $21 million of proposed service cuts met resistance from board members who must approve the budget.
“Duplicate bus service?” asked Christopher Zimmerman, who represents Arlington County. “I don’t believe we have any.”
The proposals are not final. But Metro Chairman Jim Graham, who represents the District, said the proposal was good news because staffers found savings before suggesting service cuts.
He proposed Metro should look for other ways to avoid service cuts by adding retail in train stations, charging parking fees on weekends and examining whether the agency could trim its pricey MetroAccess service for riders with disabilities.
When Metro proposed its budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the agency had said it had a $176 million budget gap and would need to make $87 million in service cuts.
Officials have since found ways to trim expenses and boost revenues to reduce the shortfall to about $28 million before cutting service. If the board accepted the proposed cuts, the agency would face a $7.4 million shortfall.
Metro plugged much of the gap by inflating how much the agency expects to make on fiber-optic lines in its tunnels, doubling the amount of money it expects to save by eliminating paper transfers on buses, and spreading out its pension liability over five years instead of three.
It also assumes Metro will settle with unions on $12 million in wages, although the agency is in arbitration with its largest union. And it calls on Metro to tap $10 million set aside for capital projects to be used on operating expenses instead.
The proposed service cuts would mean longer waits for riders and more crowded trains and buses. Bus riders would have to wait an additional five minutes for buses under the plan.
“That’s not trivial to customers, particularly on buses,” said Zimmerman, who added that bus riders don’t have stations to protect them from the weather.
Board members are facing a time crunch; Metro is hoping to begin the service changes at the end of June so it can begin saving as soon as possible.
