Forward Virginia

'Standing room only'

This Associated Press article featured on the WTOP Radio Web site describes the problem facing Northern Virginia transit: skyrocketing demand, and zero funds to compensate. Both Metro rail and local bus systems have seen marked increases in ridership -- a total of 3.3 million trips more than than last year's total of 125 million. The only transit service not to see an increase was the Virginia Railway Express, which has reached capacity. The problem?

"You can't get more rail cars until you get more money," said Rick Taube, executive director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. "The Virginia General Assembly says it would like to pay 95 percent of the public transportation costs not covered by the federal government or fares.

"To meet its own target, the state of Virginia should be providing twice as much for transit as they do."

Out of Virginia's transportation budget only 14 percent currently goes to transit. Given Northern Virginia's infamous traffic problems and these new statistics showing that people are increasingly turning to transit to avoid gridlock, that needs to change.

posted by Omar @ 8:05 AM