Drastic Cuts to Metrobus and Metrorail No. VA and DMV July 1 (Arlington: buy, prices)

[sprklcl]

This is quite bad, expected around $750 million WMATA/Metro budget deficit next fiscal year starting July 1, 2024. 20-25% fare and parking increases. Dozens of bus routes eliminated including commuter service and increased waits for trains on Metrorail. Metro Access for the disabled also impacted. See details within the links at this website https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/budget/ released February 8.

Don't know if local DMV bus systems, Fairfax Connector, DASH, ART, MoCo Ride On, PG The Bus, and other like ones regionally can run their own buses to replace the lost service. Here and there it has happened in the past, but it depends on each county/city transit agency's current spare reserve of buses, or if they can buy new buses (bigger time frame challenge) and hire new drivers in a few months by July 1.

For those much impacted and wish to attend, public hearings being held February 26-29 https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/bu...-%202.7.24.pdf

Uber/Lyft might be an option for some trips here and there, but they are way more costly to do on a regular basis, especially anyone who is transit dependent by choice or necessity. Also bicycling more so for shorter trips, if in good health, and weather permitting. In some areas, not as much impact on Uber/Lyft, less than 5% of trips in western Fairfax County are by transit, whereas inside the beltway (Arlington, DC, etc) higher percentages of transit use and could see much higher demand of Uber/Lyft with possible surge pricing with the drastic transit cuts.

[sprklcl]

Here is a better summary detail of the bus, rail, pricing, etc. changes
https://wmata.com/initiatives/budget...ed-Changes.cfm

[oneasterisk]

Area Governors and DC Mayor want the federal government to force people back to the office as it's affecting budgets.

VRE is supposed to increase their date prices as well

[sprklcl]

More federal workers back in the office, plus Metrorail service reductions https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/bu...et%20Final.pdf - doing the math with train frequencies, more than around a 20% cut. This is not a good mix with more crowded trains, if can get on a train at all during peak times, and paying more for it. Uber and Lyft drivers for some shorter commuting trips or parts of longer trips will benefit, especially for those by choice or by necessity (one car for a two worker household) or hardship who are carless and without other transportation, especially with the Metrobus service commuting cutbacks throughout the No. VA and DMV region https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/bu...s.cfm#metrobus

Does any federal worker know what percentage (or a feel ballpark roughly) of the federal workforce with offices, especially in DC and inside the Beltway, are being brought back and what percentage of the time they will be working in the office vs. working remote in any given week?

[Mike From NIU]

Originally Posted by sprklcl

Does any federal worker know what percentage (or a feel ballpark roughly) of the federal workforce with offices, especially in DC and inside the Beltway, are being brought back and what percentage of the time they will be working in the office vs. working remote in any given week?

Well, according to this article, the goal is roughly 50% of the time in office each month. That seems to be a general OMB target for all executive branch agencies to aim for.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workf...20few%20months.