TRANSIT IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL: WHAT LIES AHEAD? A STUDY OF PROJECTED TRANSIT SERVICE, COSTS, AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS ON THE REGION THROUGH THE YEAR 2000. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. FINAL REPORT

This study was done by an Interagency Task Force of private, local, State and Federal government officials under the auspices of the Federal City Council of Washington, D.C. The principal goal of this study is to achieve a regional consensus regarding what the Washington Metropolitan Area's total transit costs and revenues are likely to be through the year 2000. In addition, the study looks at how well prepared the area's jurisdictions will be to assume their respective shares of the operating deficits and capital costs. The report points out that currently, there is no single set of projects of future transit costs upon which decision makers at all levels of Government (local, State and Federal) can agree. The study calls for a commonly agreed upon objective set on numbers, and especially in the light of proposed cutbacks in Federal transit assistance. This report projected transit service, patronage, costs, revenues and financial impacts for the Washington Metropolitan Area. Data was developed for the two years that represent major milestones in the development of the metrorail system: 1993-when the metrorail system is assumed complete and 2000-when 102 miles are assumed open to service. The study assessed financial burden by comparing projected growth in the local jurisdictions' property values and non-transit expenditures. The key findings of this study are that: 1) the financial burden of subsidizing transit operations will be essentially the same in 2000 as it is today; 2) the burden picture changes in 1993 when assistance for construction, rehabilitation and replacement costs are added to operating assistance payments; 3) ridership demand is not expected to increase in the future as high as earlier studies had forecasted; 4) operating costs and deficits will increase 24 and 22 percent, respectively, as rail service doubles and bus service remains nearly constant; and 5) annual rehabilitation and replacement costs will increase from $42 million in 1986 to $150 million by the year 2000. This Executive Summary includes an Appendix entitled: WMATA Obligations by Jurisdiction.

• Corporate Authors:

  Federal City Council

  1155 15th Street, NW, Suite 817
  Washington, DC  United States  20005

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Bruggeman, J
  • Peskin, R
  • Dearborn, P
  • Wickstrom, G
• Publication Date: 1986-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 66 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Financial analysis; Impact studies; Public transit; Revenues; Transportation planning
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transit services
• Geographic Terms: Washington (District of Columbia)
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 6
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00472719
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-DC-06-0519-87-1
• Contract Numbers: UMTA-DC-06-0519
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1988 12:00AM