NVTC Calls for Long-Term WMATA Funding in New Annual Report
The support is informed by the work of DMVmoves, the joint task force assembled by WMATA and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Virginia General Assembly's Northern Virginia Growing Needs of Public Transit Joint Subcommittee.
The "Report on the Performance and Condition of WMATA" recognizes the progress WMATA has made over the last year, leading the nation in public transit ridership growth, significantly reducing crime, and achieving substantial cost savings.
Photo: WMATA/Larry Levine
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The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) formally accepted the 2025 "Report on the Performance and Condition of WMATA," detailing the agency's support for long-term, sustainable funding for DC’s transit provider.
The support is informed by the work of DMVmoves, the joint task force assembled by WMATA and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Virginia General Assembly's Northern Virginia Growing Needs of Public Transit Joint Subcommittee. These two committees spent nearly two years studying ways to establish long-term, sustainable funding for public transit in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Greater Washington region.
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Findings from NVTC’s Report
NVTC officials said their message is clear: now is the time to invest in a long-term, sustainable, dedicated funding solution for WMATA.
Chart via NVTC.
Photo: NVTC
The "Report on the Performance and Condition of WMATA" recognizes the progress WMATA has made over the last year, leading the nation in public transit ridership growth, significantly reducing crime, and achieving substantial cost savings.
NVTC Positions on Key WMATA Issues
The report will be submitted to Virginia’s Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly, as required by law. It fulfills the legislative requirement to identify strategies for reducing growth in costs and improving efficiencies with these key recommendations:
Manage labor and overtime costs.
Establish a reserve fund.
Streamline WMATA's reporting requirements.
Coordinate audits to reduce administrative burden.
Encourage collaboration with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.
Continue lowering costs and increasing revenues.
Additionally, the "Report on the Performance and Condition of WMATA" reaffirms NVTC’s transit funding principles, uses Virginia’s FY 2025 dedicated capital funding, and provides updated safety, reliability, ridership, and financial performance data.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.