Metro due to get hundreds of millions more in federal funding

Pending U.S. Senate and House bills would shower the D.C. Metro with hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh funding a year. The legislation comes as Metro embarks on initiatives that include station improvements and energy reductions.

The House bill would double the federal grant to D.C.’s mass transit system to $300 million a year, but require that it strengthen its inspection enforcement and meet certain performance targets, including ones regarding safety.

The Senate bill would raise federal funding to $200 million annually on similar conditions, according to the Post’s Robert McCartney.

The bills have a decent chance of passing for two reasons. One is that Democrats control the House and may be more receptive to the fresh funds. Similar legislation never gained any ground in the GOP-controlled House.

Another reason is that D.C., Virginia, and Maryland agreed in 2018 to $500 million in new annual funding for Metro. That is key as a 10-year-old federal subsidy for capital expenses that both the House and Senate bills would extend is tied to matching funds from the local and state governments. Stay tuned.