By Chris Kain
Reply with tips, links, events, things or send them to news@thedcline.org

Metro is looking to boost ridership with improved rail and bus service without any fare increases in the coming year, according to the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget released yesterday Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke.

The fiscal plan envisions service increases on 15% of bus routes across the region, as well as shorter weekday wait times on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines and reduced nighttime wait times on the Red Line, according to Metro. A budget overview notes that the Red Line is currently the busiest in the evening and late at night but currently provides less frequent service than the combined service levels available on other lines.

“Metro ridership has grown in recent years, and we want to continue to meet that demand for the region,” Clarke said in a statement. “This proposal reflects our commitment to delivering safe, frequent, and reliable service, while preparing Metro for the potential long-term capital challenges ahead.”

In the rail system’s core, trains would run every 3 to 6 minutes on weekdays until 9:30 p.m., when they would run every 4 to 8 minutes.

Bus improvements in DC would include increased frequency on four routes with high ridership or recurring delays — D24, D4X, C91 and C43. The budget also would fund enhancements to the D72, C35 and C63 routes as well as expanded hours on the C57 and D6X routes.

The budget document lays out two scenarios for Metro’s six-year Capital Improvement Program, depending on whether local jurisdictions come through with additional funding endorsed by regional leaders who participated in the DMVMoves task force.

Click here for full story from the DC Line