The following statement is from DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6), chair of the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, following today’s vote by the WMATA Board of Directors approving the agency’s $4.8 billion FY25 budget.

“WMATA is vital to our city and region. In January, we faced a doomsday budget that would have undermined the entire system. Today’s vote avoids serious reductions in service to bus and rail, and it’s possible because DC, MD, and VA invested in our future. Nationwide, WMATA is one of the few major systems where ridership is growing and service is improving. It’s also one of the major systems without dedicated funding for its operations. It’s time to recognize that WMATA is the lifeblood of our region and secure its future, instead of careening from one fiscal crisis to the next.”