Northern Virginia political leaders at the local and state levels seem to have a firm dollar figure associated with the proposal to improve Metro service across the region. There remains a question, however, regarding whether they’ll be able to come up with the funding.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is preparing to adopt a resolution on July 17 acknowledging that Virginia will need to commit an additional $153 million in fiscal year 2027 to implement operational upgrades and keep the transit system on track.
With Virginia typically splitting its share of Metro’s operating costs between the state government and localities, local leaders and the General Assembly will need to come up with their shares of the extra funding as part of budget deliberations to take place next winter and spring.
When discussing the proposed resolution at a June 5 NVTC meeting, Del. Mark Sickles (D-17) argued the General Assembly has gone above and beyond its financial obligations to Metro over the past two fiscal years, dipping into the state’s general fund to provide the extra cash.
The state government may not have the resources to be so generous in the future, he said.
“We live in uncertain times. There’s no guarantee that we would have this kind of money,” said Sickles, who serves as a commissioner on the NVTC board.
“At the local level, it’s similar,” said Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, another NVTC commissioner who also serves on Metro’s board of directors.
It’s likely that similar conversations are taking place in D.C. and Maryland, as both jurisdictions are also facing challenging budget times as a result of economic uncertainty and federal government cuts promoted by the Trump administration and Republican majority in Congress.
The extra local and state funds, if they materialize, will provide approximately a half-billion dollars in additional annual revenue sought for Metro’s operating budget, enabling the transit agency to maintain existing service and make strategic expansions.
That extra annual operating subsidy would be split between Virginia, Maryland and D.C. based on a complicated — and sometimes controversial — funding formula.
In May, the DMV Moves Task Force — a group created by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) to recommend options for sustainable transit funding — decided against seeking a regional sales tax increase to support any improvements. Instead, its members suggested each jurisdiction should find its own way to cover the increased costs.
A special subcommittee of the Virginia General Assembly is looking at funding options that could be used not only to fund the state’s share of increased Metro costs, but also to meet the needs of Virginia Railway Express and local bus networks.
Both groups are expected to complete their final reports by the end of the year, before the 2026 legislative session.
The discussion of operating funding is just half of the equation. An even larger fiscal challenge may be to address ongoing capital investment needs of the Metro system.
“Capital is not in here at all,” Sickles said of the $153 million figure.
Local autonomy for bus systems demanded
As part of the proposed resolution responding to the DMV Moves Task Force’s work, local leaders affirmed their desire to see local bus systems remain under local control, rather than being consolidated under Metrobus or another large consortium.
The ultimate goal is a regional bus network that provides a “seamless customer experience” but doesn’t take away jurisdictional autonomy, Alcorn said.
The commission wants regional leaders to “respect the local control and policy-making,” NVTC executive director Kate Mattice agreed.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” Mattice said of bus service across the region.
That hands-off message has been percolating for months as DMV Moves continues its work. Several NVTC members said they hope it has gotten through.
“DMV Moves has talked about local bus [service], but perhaps not as centrally as it could,” said Matt de Ferranti, an Arlington County Board member who serves on NVTC and recently was tapped to chair its Metro committee.
At its May 16 meeting, DMV Moves participants debated, and ultimately rejected, a proposal for a regional bus fund, in part because of fears it would undermine independence of local systems such as Fairfax Connector, Arlington Transit, Alexandria’s DASH and the City of Fairfax’s CUE buses.
Local leaders say they already coordinate with one another where feasible. According to the NVTC resolution, those efforts include “scheduling service to maximize efficient transfers, aligning fare policies, conducting joint procurements, coordinating emergency response, and sharing maintenance and other facilities.”
Alcorn said the resolution set for adoption on July 17 is a major step, but it won’t be NVTC’s final input before DMV Moves and the General Assembly legislative committee wrap up work by the end of the year.
“It’s not ‘speak now or forever hold your peace,'” he said, promising the commission will have at least “one more opportunity to state its positions and principles.”
Mattice confirmed that “there’s going to be more conversations.”
