Local leaders in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) are angry with the White House after President Barack Obama’s administration reneged on a deal to help fund Metro, which is in dire need of important updates and repairs. In 2010, the federal government committed to giving metro $150 million per year in exchange for the transit agency’s matching federal funds and adding two new positions for federal appointees on the Metro Board of Directors. President Obama’s most recent budget cut includes a 10 percent reduction in Metro funds.
District Mayor Vincent Gray reports that the president needs to keep his word because about half of the people who ride the Metro are reportedly federal employees. “I’m surprised, I really don’t know what the factors are that account for it. We need to learn more about it, but I think first and foremost it needs to be restored to the original agreement of $150 million,” Gray said. Members of the Board of Directors for Metro agree that the federal government should be an equal partner in paying for safety improvement and other upgrades needed to the aging transportation system. Congressional and state leaders from the DMV are signing a letter to the White House and Congress, urging them to reinstate the $150 million cut.
