Last Friday’s nearly disastrous Red Line derailment was merely the latest in a string of unacceptable Metro accidents and near misses. Thankfully, only three people suffered minor injuries last week, when a northbound train accidentally switched onto a southbound track and needed to derail to avoid a head-on collision. But the incident demonstrates the dire need for increased funding of the beleaguered Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. If the D.C. area is to have a safe, well-maintained Metro system, the federal government needs to step up its financial contribution, since the $150 million they provide annually does very little to support WMATA’s $2.1 billion operating budget.
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), D.C.’s non-voting congressional representative, has called for a congressional hearing to evaluate the backlog of maintenance issues brought into the spotlight by Friday’s derailment. While Norton is doing her part to focus on the significant concerns about the system’s safety, real action on the part of Congress is needed to address the $11.4 billion backlog of necessary Metro improvements.
After a spike in activity following the fatal June 2009 Red Line crash, Congress has largely forgotten about the issue of Metro safety. Congressional neglect would be unfortunate at the best of times, but with the aging system in such a poor state, the lack of fiscal support is increasingly dangerous. Unless Congress increases its financial support of the WMATA system, which many federal employees rely upon, we can only expect more problems and accidents.
WMATA is doing its best to raise money for the necessary repairs and investments, recently announcing a painful, but necessary, 10-cent fare increase. But fare increases and contributions from local jurisdictions will not be enough to fund the much-needed safety improvements. Congress, whose pockets are deep enough to address the dangerous situation at WMATA, must ensure the safe and effective functioning of Metro.
