Wnited States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
February 1, 2018
‘The Honorable Mick Mulvaney The Honorable Elaine Chao
Director Secretary
Office of Management and Budget USS. Department of Transport
Executive Office of the President 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
725.17" Street NW Washington, DC 20590
Washington, DC 20503-0009
Dear Director Mulvaney and Secretary Chao,
As you draft the President’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2019, we urge you to
include the annual $150 million in federal funds for critical capital and safety improvements for
the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In addition, as you continue
crafting President Trump’s infrastructure investment proposal, we urge that you consider
dedicating a significant and robust amount of funding to make improvemenis to WMATA.
The bipartisan Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIA, PL 110-
432) created this successful federal-state partnership under which the three WMATA
jurisdictions collectively match this funding with another $150 million each year for 10 years for
a total ofa $1.5 billion federal investment, In FY 2010, the federal government began fulfilling
their commitment and have followed through in subsequent years to provide funding for nine
straight years. FY 2019 would represent the tenth and final year of that ten-year commitment.
‘Without providing the federal portion next year, this delicate funding partnership would unravel,
leaving a significant shortfall in WMATA's capital budget.
‘The federal government relies on Metro. Many Metrorail stations were built at the request
of the federal government, and more than one third of all stations are located on or near federal
facilities. Federal employees comprise nearly 40 percent of WMATA’s peak ridership, and
millions of others use the WMATA system (Metrorail, Metrobus, and Metro’s Paratransit
programs) each year for business or personal visits to the Nation’s Capital. WMATA also serves
a unique national security role, providing transportation for federal employees traveling to and
from the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security and ensuring continuity of federal
operations during an emergency. WMATA is central to most federal agency emergency
preparedness plans, a necessity that was proven on September 11, 2001. The system is also
indispensable for transporting large crowds attending events of national importance, such as the
Presidential Inauguration and Fourth of July on the National Mall.
We do not dismiss the challenges Metrorail faces — created by a combination of under-
investment in infrastructure and unsatisfactory ageney performance. Recent safety issues,
including a high-profile fatal incident in 2015 as well as last month’s train derailment, have
shined a light on the vast scope of the system’s safety challenges. We all agree on the need for
WMATA to demonstrate major improvement in safety, reliability, and customer service and we
plan to continue to push for additional oversight and meaningful reform. We also strongly‘emphasize that better performance from WMATA and reliable funding from Congress and the
jurisdictions are complementary goals. Both must be achieved in order for WMATA to reverse a
concerning downward trend in ridership ~ which will simply put more of its 600,000 daily riders
back onto already-congested highways ~ and earn back the trust of visitors and daily commuters.
‘Since General Manager Paul Wiedefeld joined WMATA, the agency has undertaken a
number of bold steps to address the challenges it faces. At the close of 2017, all 1000 and 4000
series railears were retired and replaced, significantly improving safety and reliability. General
Manager Wiedefeld is making tough decisions necessary to instill a new safety culture and to
allocate limited resources, including by designating managers as “at-will” employees and
eliminating approximately 800 positions, and terminating individuals responsible for safety
transgressions. Now that General Manager Wiedefeld is finally taking the overdue tough steps to
turn around this troubled agency, it is important that he have the full resources (already
authorized by Congress) to do the job right.
In addition, as you finalize work on the President's reported $1.5 trillion infrastructure
investment proposal, we again call on you to include funding within that proposal for additional
WMATA improvements, As stated above, the federal government clearly relies on Metro and
maintaining a functioning transit system for the seat of the federal government is a national
priority. The complex funding arrangement involving Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and the local
jurisdictions also provides an opportunity for federal investment to be leveraged by state and
local matches. WMATA noted last year that the Metro system has $25 billion in total unfunded
capital needs, and if those needs are not addressed soon, costs will simply continue to escalate.
For these reasons, we strongly urge that you consider WMATA’s needs as you finalize the
President's proposal that will help make desperately needed repair to our nation’s infrastructure.
We look forward to working with you to improve the safety and performance of the
Metro system, and ask that you give our requests strong consideration.
Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER BENJAMIN L. CARDIN
United States Senator United States Senator
TIM KAINE CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
United States Senator United States Senator
Ce: Gary Cohn, Director, National Economic Council