Thread by @amaxsmith

(Virtual) #WMATA Board meetings beginning shortly. They are expected to give final approval to a far-from-final budget plan with significant service and fare changes wtop.com/tracking-metro…

#WMATA now has 9 employees with confirmed positive #Covid19 tests, plus contractors.

Ridership on the rails was down 95% Wednesday year over year
Bus ridership down 75%

19 stations remain closed, buses on significantly reduced schedule wtop.com/coronavirus/20…

And #WMATA Finance Committee is underway, with relatively few hiccups getting started
Budget presentation is up first, with Fed's Horner recused & Rouse filling in (both on call, Horner will particpate in other matters)
wtop.com/tracking-metro…

McMillin says the feedback on the budget did lead to changes - recognize in uncertain times now, and plan adjustments between now and July if needed wtop.com/tracking-metro…

#WMATA GM Wiedefeld: Important to continue budget process to file proper federal funding forms, says also important to show what Metro hopes to do. Thanks the budget staff for making changes in recent weeks as also dealing with everything else wtop.com/tracking-metro…

CFO Anosike: #WMATA operating+capital proposal for year starting July 1 is about $4 billion wtop.com/tracking-metro…

#WMATA VP Lynn Bowersox: 93% of budget responses were online surveys. Also 1,044 comments online or sent in, 195 people spoke at the 3 public hearings
"In fact, service enhancements were quite popular"

Bowersox: Most opposition was to the original proposals for dramatic bus cuts.
On fares, "anything that made travel more affordable was generally well supported"
wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Bowersox says unusually high number -- more than 1/3 support in survey for base fare increase

#WMATA Capital Planning head Tom Webster says focus and priority is to improve service and reliability, reduce backlog, and keep up with other needs. Six year Capital plan is $9.7B wtop.com/tracking-metro…

In #WMATA capital plans:
-Platform 24/7 shutdowns
- elevators/escalators continued work
- fare system updates
- bus shelters
- bus rider info
- Advancing 8000 Series purchase
- New buses/paratransit, test of electric bus
- More track work/power/signals
- Garages, offices, IT

#WMATA expects in capital budget $321M in FY21 in federal formula funds plus PRIIA funding $149M - after budget approved today, Metro finance team can submit grant applications in about a month wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Fare changes in #WMATA budget:
Base rail fare up at rush, rush fare distance cap up only 50 cents, not $1 initially proposed. Metro also doing $2 weekend rail fare, and doubling bus-rail transfer discount to $1 wtop.com/tracking-metro…

#WMATA lists exclusions from 3% subsidy cap as:
safety and testing requirements, extra paratransit service, and Silver Line Phase 2 launch next April wtop.com/tracking-metro…

#WMATA CFO says now need to add another $1 million in management savings to accommodate additional bus routes being restored in Maryland and Virginia
Metro has also adjusted the jurisdictional contributions to lower Loudoun's share in next budget year

wtop.com/tracking-metro…

#WMATA says the early morning Metrorail service cuts don't violate civil rights rules despite disparate impact on minority groups. Say adding service at other times offsets that wtop.com/tracking-metro…

CFO Anosike says "these are all moving targets at this point", with #WMATA Board re-review of budget coming over next few months wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Md Transpo Sec Slater asks about Silver Line
Wiedefeld says testing expected to be about 60-90 days from acceptance, but says Metro staff will do due diligence before accepting wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Md's Slater says with world upside down right now, hard to know what will happen next
Wiedefeld: Will revisit in next few months, and also look at budget revisions every 3 months throughout the year wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Va's Smedberg: Understand this will be particularly challenging time for jurisdictions as well, so have to work together wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Md's Goldman raises concerns about ongoing use of federal capital funds for preventive maintenance - he says it's increasing from $60M to $96M this year with Silver Line ramp up
(The resolution they're voting on says it's $60M, so not sure where he got this number)

Md's Goldman also again complains about the Silver Line Phase 2 ridership estimates for the early months/year of service

Goldman: In future years, "assuming we ever have a normal budget year again".....

wtop.com/tracking-metro…

We do have amendments coming to the budget plan shortly

CFO Anosike explaining the federal capital money going toward Silver Line launch, says $60M is regular baseline, but in Silver Line ramp up, $36M extra is "a one time allocation" "to reduce the lift...with respect to the start" for the jurisdictions

Loudoun's Matt Letourneau glad there is Silver Line funding in budget, highlights that there are ridership projections
Says surreal to do a budget right now, and need to be sensitive to local budgets - they'll have difficulty paying subsidies. Unknowns on federal help

Letourneau says the adjustment to lower the Loudoun burden at last minute is causing heartburn for other jurisdictions - but says this is the correct calculation of what Loudoun owes wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Letourneau says the board will have to figure out both how to get ridership back and how to make budget - suggesting weekend flat fares, and other fare changes may be scrapped wtop.com/tracking-metro…

1st Budget Amendment: Virginia requiring GM come to the board before reprogramming capital budget money set aside to cover revenue losses for track work, for changes to Claims Liability Fund and for changes to funding of Claims Liability Fund & OPEB Trust
Passes unanimously

2nd Amendment:
Maryland amendment that specifically says that the #WMATA Board will review the budget again before July 1, and could change or delay any service or fare changes that are planned at time they reconsider
wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Md's Goldman also reads out concerns from Ride On about the increase in transfer discount, since Montgomery County tries to follow #WMATA fare policy, but doesn't have money available to increase transfer discount. Says must be tough look in June wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Fed's McMillin says all initiatives, all base levels of service should be part of the review in June, don't want to exclude any ideas or single any out - will look at budget again as a whole

#WMATA Finance Committee (same membership as full board that will vote later) unanimously approves placeholder budget, 8-0 wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Metro is now set to hold off on issuing its bonds backed by dedicated revenue until market stabilizes. They had hoped to capitalize on interest rates when this was proposed over last few months

Normally, #WMATA approval of budget would be a huge deal given fare, service and hours changes. This year, we don't know if any of it will actually take effect July 1. Will have to wait on June, or even later for some pieces wtop.com/tracking-metro…

CFO Anosike: Want board approval for dedicated revenue bonds so can act when market stabilizes.
Letourneau asks if Metro would have to do this sometime soon for cash flow - Anosike says was aiming for May, but that only works if region allows construction to continue this summer

Committe approves the bond issuance - that's not going to the full board today

We are now into the Safety and Operations Committee, where #WMATA staff are giving a #covid19 service and response update wtop.com/coronavirus/20…

Chief Safety Officer Impastato says still at 9 confirmed employee cases. Rail ridership down about 95%, bus ridership down about 76%
Says service cuts balance service with resources, including manpower wtop.com/coronavirus/20…

Impastato: #WMATA remaining in this response phase for "indefinite future". Says #WMATA is drafting a recovery plan, but don't know when that might be able to be implemented wtop.com/coronavirus/20…

Md's Goldman asks what would make #WMATA totally shut down (!)
Wiedefeld: If feds or locals restricted operation, if there were significant staffing issues
"I don't anticipate that happening." "playing critical role we need to play" wtop.com/coronavirus/20…

.@SimplySJG praises #WMATA response to #COVID19, and highlights the bus drivers who are ensuring everyone else can get where they need to be

Now general rail safety (1.3 rider injuries/million trips, 3.3 worker injury/100):
- Recorded warnings playing on escalators didn't help that much
- New warning mats coming to escalators (Dupont/Potomac Ave)
-Station mgr de-escalation training/stay in camera view in confrontation

Metro had 10 rail collisions in 2019 and 5 derailments (not of trains in service)
Metro has limited worker injuries by rolling out new hard hats for workers and providing additional protection for workers with mats to lay over the electrified third rail over the last few years.

This is roughly what the mats going in at Potomac Ave and Dupont Circle will look like

Impastato now touting the platform shutdown pieces added besides the platform edges like screens and shelters wtop.com/tracking-metro…

Full #WMATA Board now underway

Metro Board approves (8-0) what amounts to ceremonial #WMATA budget with rush hour fare hikes, restoration of some rail hours, some bus cuts, and some service improvements
Consideration of what really happens July 1 to come in June
wtop.com/tracking-metro…

https://twitter.com/amaxsmith/status/1245711673765302273

#WMATA Board also approves selling surface part of land above Largo railcar storage facility, and selling a lot near Van Dorn St in Alexandria that's long been leased to a car dealer. Each sale >$1 million

Metro Board now adjourning to go into a closed session