PRISCM rally for transit at Addison Road Metro.

Maryland’s WMATA board members announced April 22 that the state would meet its proposed contribution requirement of $13.9 million in GM Richard Sarles proposed budget through a combination of increased funds, possible local revenue and likely bus service reductions within Maryland.

The announcement at the WMATA board meeting followed a rally last Tuesday at Addison Road Metro station that drew nearly 200 people from churches, labor unions and transit advocacy groups. Speakers, songs and prayers called for Gov. Martin O’Malley to provide funds to stop service cuts and excessive fare increases. Elected officials and candidates from throughout Prince George’s County also attended.

Both WMATA board members Peter Benjamin and Elizabeth Hewlett couched their words carefully when they spoke at the Board meeting. They said there were no final figures or plan, and stressed that no local funds had yet been committed. Maryland has $3.5 million budgeted for WMATA beyond what former GM John Catoe had requested, leaving about $10.4 million still to find in the budget.

Currently, the state government pays all of Maryland’s share of WMATA bus service. Having ny funds for Metrobus service come from Prince George’s County would represent at least a temporary shift of some costs to the county.

The WMATA jurisdictional coordinating committee has a documents listing Maryland’s preferences on cutting bus service to meet subsidy needs. The state has identified about $3.8 million in subsidy reduction as a result of potential bus cuts, ranking them in priority order of 1-4. Since some of the cuts couldn’t go into effect until September or later, the maximum possible subsidy savings would be appreciably less than the full $3.8 million.

PriorityLineChangeRush?DayWhenAnnual Savings
1A12 Widen AM rush and convert 3 late weekday trips to Friday only.RushWkJune$120,267
1B24 Eliminate trip leaving Bowie P&R for New Carrollton at 7:54 pm.NonWkSept$12,800
1C11 Eliminate trip leaving Branch Ave for Clinton at 7:15 pm.RushWkJune$16,358
1C22/26 Eliminate 2 late trips.NonWkSept$39,167
1C4 Change trip leaving Twinbrook for PG Plaza at 12:49 am to Friday only.RushWkJune$13,017
1D12,D14 Eliminate 3 early and 1 late trips.RushWk, SaJune$25,613
1F12Eliminate 3 late trips.NonWkSept$39,679
1F13 Eliminate trip leaving New Carrollton for Wash. Business Park at 7:57 pm.NonWkSept$0
1F2Eliminate 1 early and 1 late trip.RushWk, SaJune$19,873
1H12,13Eliminate 3 late trips.RushWkJune$26,639
1J1,2 Convert 1 J2 trip to Friday only. Eliminate 7 late J2 trips.RushWk, Sa, SuSept$40,095
1J11,12 Widen rush. Eliminate 4 late trips.NonWk, Sa, SuSept$82,941
1J4 Eliminate trip leaving College Park for Bethesda at 6:37 pm.RushWkJune$12,680
1K11/12/13 Eliminate 3 early trips and 2 late trips.RushWk, SuJune$37,860
1K6 Convert 2 late weekday trips to Friday only. Eliminate 2 late trips.RushWk, SuSept$32,116
1P12 Eliminate trip leaving Eastover for Addison Rd at 12:10 am.RushWkJune$25,786
1R2 Eliminate 2 early trips.RushSa, SuJune$4,197
1R4 Eliminate 3 early trips and 2 late trips.NonWk, Sa, SuSept$13,046
1T2 Eliminate trip leaving Friendship Hts. for Rockville at 10:51 PM.NonWkJune$12,850
2V12 Eliminate 1 early and 1 late trip.RushWk, SuJune$19,869
2V14/15 Eliminate 3 early and 3 late trips.NonWk, Sa, SuSept$34,048
2Y9 Eliminate 4 late trips.RushSuJune$12,508
3C12,C14Eliminate all service. Divert H11/12 via Carriage Hill.RushWk, SaSept$872,391
4P17/18/19; W13/14Reroute to Southern Ave. or Branch Ave.RushWkLater$742,428
4B27Eliminate all service.NonWkLater$348,665
4B29,B31Eliminate all service.NonWkSept$323,321
4C4, C2, J5Eliminate C4 and late-night C2 trips Wheaton to Twinbrook, reroute J5.RushWk, Sa, SuLater$1,007,566
Total:$3,815,513

These proposed cuts are mainly concentrated in Prince George’s County. Only the J1/2, T2, Y9 and the C4 reductions are solely within Montgomery County. The rest are either bi-county or Prince George’s only. Some of the potential cuts are on major bus lines such as the A12, C2, C4, C22/26, D12/14, J1/2, K6, P12, R2, Y9. Some proposals cut bus lines altogether for some communities like the B27, B29/31 or truncate the line in the case of the P17/18/19. Seventeen of twenty-nine proposed cuts are targeted at regional routes.

The amounts of money that will be generated in FY11 from implementing some or all of these proposed bus cuts would be fairly small in the bigger picture. If all the cuts were made to a tune of $3.8 million in annual subsidy savings, only about $2.5 million could be realized in FY11. Maryland should find a way to fund its subsidy without cutting bus service that is vital to many throughout the region.