Proposed Metro doomsday cuts

[Scrabbleship]

It doesn't look good at all though they seem to be cutting off their nose to spite their face.

What's worse is that Metro could be $150 million in the hole per year for the next decade. If things are THAT bad, what are the odds that it will end up bankrupt and under federal receivership? Problems that big are the sign of a failed company since even the MTA's doomsday plan in New York doesn't look this dim.

[ChristopherF]

30-minute waits on trains?

[Perry]

Trimming frequencies is the best way to save a lot of money.  Let me tell you, that saved our butts in Vegas by doing that without taking a hacksaw to the entire route network.  They need to find some way to save.  I like the elimination of bus stops too.  We here have way too many and are trying to spread them out a little bit. 

You don't think New York's proposal is that bad?  You're just trying to do everything  you can to make WMATA the scapegoat and find everything right in everyone else. 

[Antozilla]

Maybe putting it under fed control will be a very good thing.

[Perry]

Yeah right, a Federally controlled transit system?  WMATA has always been criticized for being too favored by the Feds.  You were moaning and groaning about not paying more taxes if they ran extra service on Jan 1, so you want them to fund 100% of it? 

Socialized Mass Transit.  Yay!!!!

[Tritransit Area]

Hmm...honestly the trimming of headways seem to be quite reasonable.  I don't quite agree with the elimination of 8 car trains, since the system is at/over capacity right now.

[Scrabbleship]

Yeah right, a Federally controlled transit system?  WMATA has always been criticized for being too favored by the Feds.  You were moaning and groaning about not paying more taxes if they ran extra service on Jan 1, so you want them to fund 100% of it? 

Socialized Mass Transit.  Yay!!!!

If the alternative is a bankrupt and broke WMATA that is hacked to the bone with ridership being a fraction of what it is today, what would you choose?

[Tritransit Area]

LOL, Perry - I missed your edits.  I just saw your original post as "Yeah, right", which said more than enough for me!

Federally controlled transit...yikes...

[Perry]

They're not going to go bankrupt because the feds already pitch in to keep it afloat. You just want to stir the pot.  All transit systems re going through this and none will just shut their doors.

[MetroLinerXLZ]

Isn't the WMATA already Fed controlled anyway, like the majority of transit systems in the country?!? I mean, it is getting Federal funds and (therefore) subject to Fed regulations that come with it.

IMO, WMATA was setting themselves up for this "hole" when they made the purcha....let me leave that to myself (to avoid controversy); that issue has already been hashed to death. I will say this, a lot of transit agencies are suffering right now, and a good number of them done it to themselves (i.e. making unnecessary purchase of equipment, mismanagement in the higher ranks, etc.). That doesn't mean they aren't getting some sort of help. 

At this point, reducing train frequency to 30 minutes would be the practical idea here. IMO, I think additional cuts to bus service would be a bit dangerous, given the D.C. politics.

[Perry]

Exactly.  With 80% funding for bus purchases followed by every Federal Regulation there is, they're not going to completely take over the whole thing.  Could you imagine a 100% Federally funded agency trying to then purchase vehicles, award contracts, etc.  It won't happen. If anything, I would suggest Metrobus and Metrorail be operated by two completely different entities if that was the case.

The FTA is screwy anyway.  Their outdated spare vehicle ratio rules and National Transit Database drive me nuts on a continual basis.

[OrionFlyer]

Wow. I was just reading about the Doomsday cuts for MTA NYC. Now WMATA? Oh boy.

[Perry]

Most large transit systems are putting together a doomsday scenerio. 

[79MetroExtraMD]

Most large transit systems are putting together a doomsday scenerio. 

Yea. I remember reading through NYC MTA's proposed service cuts. Well over 200 million dollars worth of cuts. I also remember when Chicago threatened to eliminate over a quarter of their routes due to the budget issue in Illinois.

[WayneNYC]

The doomsday scenario is nothing new for New Yorkers.  We've dealt with them for many years, but usually it's the threat of ridiculously high fares and service cuts.  Not saying they'll definitely get the funding, but the cuts they're proposing will be bad.  Some of it is that they want to cut the overnight service on several bus routes.  One thing for sure is that most NYCTA hawks have plenty of riders.  It's a 24/7 city where most don't own cars and they need the service to support it.  My bet is that it doesn't play out as threatened, or if it does happen, at least some service will eventually be restored.

Also in NYC, the largest amount of cuts always seems to be directed at those in the MTA's largest agency, NYCTA.  A concern had been that the MTA's other agencies (LIRR, MNR) routinely gets funding to cover a larger portion of their expenses than NYCTA gets.