Washington, Jan 26, 2026, 06:04 EST
- WMATA opened an online public comment window on its proposed $4.8 billion FY2027 budget
- The proposal keeps fares flat and aims to boost rail frequency and capacity
- Comments are due Feb. 10; WMATA plans to take feedback to its board in March
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened an online public comment period on its proposed $4.8 billion fiscal 2027 budget, promising more frequent Metrorail service and no fare increase. Comments are due Feb. 10 and WMATA said it will compile the feedback for its board in March. 1
The plan matters because it sets next year’s rail and bus service for the U.S. capital region, and it signals what Metro can afford to keep fixing. Operating money covers day-to-day service; capital money goes to longer-life projects such as rail cars, track and stations.
Metro General Manager Randy Clarke presented the proposal in December and said the budget year runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Metro said it will hold hearings Feb. 3 in Arlington, Virginia, and Feb. 4–5 virtually, before a board vote in April; it also laid out two scenarios for its six-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), the multi-year plan for major repairs and upgrades. “Metro ridership has grown in recent years, and we want to continue to meet that demand,” Clarke said. 2
WMATA’s service plan leans on bus schedule changes, train automation and shifts in how it deploys six-car and eight-car trains, steps it said are aimed at reliability and travel times. It also highlighted capital priorities including work on rail cars and facilities, rail systems, track and structures, and station upgrades. 3
A separate presentation on the same budget cycle put a longer-term price tag on Metro’s ambitions, including a $15.8 billion capital plan for 2027–2032 tied to a push toward fuller automation and new infrastructure such as platform barriers. “Many advanced transit systems do include platform screen doors… and that creates a physical barrier between customers and the tracks,” Chief Infrastructure Officer Theresa Impastato said. 4
Metro finance officials have argued the service push is tied to ridership and revenue trends that remain in motion after the pandemic. “Ridership increased from roughly 81 million trips in FY-21 to a forecast 268 million trips by the end of FY-26,” Tom Webster, Metro’s executive vice president and acting chief financial officer, said. 5
Regional leaders have also been pushing a broader funding and integration agenda that reaches beyond Metro, including commuter rail and local bus operators. A DMVMoves plan endorsed by the region’s COG and WMATA boards calls for $460 million a year in new capital funding for Metro beginning in fiscal 2028 and stronger coordination among 14 transit operators, including MARC and VRE. “A reliable and well-funded Metro system is essential to our region’s economic vitality,” Clarke said. 6
But the extra capital money remains a recommendation, and it hinges on action by regional governments and lawmakers. DMVMoves said the funding is designed to grow 3% a year to avoid another “fiscal cliff” — a sudden shortfall when a funding stream fails to keep up or runs out — even as it pitches a more unified transit network. “One thing has not — the absolutely vital role that Metro and our entire public transit network plays,” said task force co-chair Charles Allen. 7
