Metro warns of huge budget deficits and a death spiral

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Metro in its current form is obsolete, as it functions principally to get city-based workers to and from the suburbs.

We need a regional subway/rail system that supports getting across the city easily, as well as from major suburb to major suburb.

Unfortunately, as the Purple Line demonstrates, there is neither the money nor political will to do this.

The Purple Line that is actually currently getting built, finally? Is that the Purple Line you're referring to?

In the 1960s, Metro was designed and built to get office workers from the suburbs into office jobs in DC. However, now it's 2023, and it serves many other functions as well.

Yeah with untold billions in overrun costs and years and years of delays. They’ll never get their money back and probably even hemorrhage even more money. Let’s spend billions on a system hardly anyone will use that connects to other transit systems people already aren’t using. Brilliant plan for solvency I tell you. You know their solution is going to be raise fares and taxes when the purple line starts blowing a hole through budgets and runs up huge deficits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

How fascinating that you have this all figured out. It’s fare dodgers and safety!!!! Who knew?

It has nothing to do with a permanent shift in the way people work?

The metro needs to adapt their cost structure to the shift in the way people work then. That means eliminating jobs, getting rid of grossly overpaid union workers, and more automation.

Square that with your demand for “safety.”

Metro is a public good. The expense be damned. Tax people for it. Everyone benefits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

How fascinating that you have this all figured out. It’s fare dodgers and safety!!!! Who knew?

It has nothing to do with a permanent shift in the way people work?

The metro needs to adapt their cost structure to the shift in the way people work then. That means eliminating jobs, getting rid of grossly overpaid union workers, and more automation.

So, Metro is actually doing that. And it doesn't mean eliminating jobs and union-busting. It means focusing less on morning/evening weekday peaks, and more on all-day and weekend frequencies.

Which is exactly why it is a death spiral. They’ll keep cutting service. Which means it is less and less convenient. Which means less riders. Which means worsening finances. And the spiral goes on.

They’ll keep cutting service before they eliminate jobs and grossly overpaid salaries. It’ll ruin the entire thing because unions gotta milk the golden calf as long as they can before it dies.

It will only be a death spiral if the local jurisdictions allow it to be a death spiral. A death spiral would be a disaster for the local jurisdictions. So I hope you will advocate to your local jurisdiction to make Metro funding a priority.

What exactly is there to fund? A system less and less people use? In what world does it make to flush money down the toilet like that? They need to shed costs first and get lean before demanding more taxpayer bailouts to pay themselves cushy salaries and so they can lose $1b next year and another $1b after that. Tax payers have infinitely deep pockets, right? Just keep on soaking taxpayers for this bloated mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Metro in its current form is obsolete, as it functions principally to get city-based workers to and from the suburbs.

We need a regional subway/rail system that supports getting across the city easily, as well as from major suburb to major suburb.

Unfortunately, as the Purple Line demonstrates, there is neither the money nor political will to do this.

The Purple Line that is actually currently getting built, finally? Is that the Purple Line you're referring to?

In the 1960s, Metro was designed and built to get office workers from the suburbs into office jobs in DC. However, now it's 2023, and it serves many other functions as well.

Yeah with untold billions in overrun costs and years and years of delays. They’ll never get their money back and probably even hemorrhage even more money. Let’s spend billions on a system hardly anyone will use that connects to other transit systems people already aren’t using. Brilliant plan for solvency I tell you. You know their solution is going to be raise fares and taxes when the purple line starts blowing a hole through budgets and runs up huge deficits.

Oh, that again.

If your "hardly anyone will use it!" buddies hadn't filed so many frivolous complaints and lawsuits, the Purple Line wouldn't have had the overrun costs and years of delay. It would be up and running today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

How fascinating that you have this all figured out. It’s fare dodgers and safety!!!! Who knew?

It has nothing to do with a permanent shift in the way people work?

The metro needs to adapt their cost structure to the shift in the way people work then. That means eliminating jobs, getting rid of grossly overpaid union workers, and more automation.

Square that with your demand for “safety.”

Metro is a public good. The expense be damned. Tax people for it. Everyone benefits

The public also benefits from a strong military and national defense. Because I’m sure you’ll say the same about spending unlimited amounts of money on the military too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, maybe if the service they provided was better in the first place, I would use it more. I go into work 3 days per week, but always drive at least one of them. There are metro delays, it is crowded, and it is dirty.

How can it be crowded? OP assures us nobody is taking it!

But yes, what you're pointing to is the "death spiral." Funding shortfall, service cuts, less ridership, funding shortfall, service cuts, less ridership...

I answered a ridership survey a month or two ago (Maryland MTA, not WMATA), which asked how I would get to work if there were no transit. If there were no transit, I would be unable to get to work. It's as simple as that.

I'm in Loudoun county and they have these commuter buses that go from point A to point B in DC. They're amazing. They don't make many stops, have AC and internet (both of which I never see on Metro) and are fast.

There has been free WiFi on metro trains for a while. What do you expect of a bus system that only charges $2, or $1 if you qualify for snap benefits? DC bus customers are not the same demographic as Loudon county commuters. A lot of them rely on the low fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

How fascinating that you have this all figured out. It’s fare dodgers and safety!!!! Who knew?

It has nothing to do with a permanent shift in the way people work?

The metro needs to adapt their cost structure to the shift in the way people work then. That means eliminating jobs, getting rid of grossly overpaid union workers, and more automation.

So, Metro is actually doing that. And it doesn't mean eliminating jobs and union-busting. It means focusing less on morning/evening weekday peaks, and more on all-day and weekend frequencies.

Which is exactly why it is a death spiral. They’ll keep cutting service. Which means it is less and less convenient. Which means less riders. Which means worsening finances. And the spiral goes on.

They’ll keep cutting service before they eliminate jobs and grossly overpaid salaries. It’ll ruin the entire thing because unions gotta milk the golden calf as long as they can before it dies.

It will only be a death spiral if the local jurisdictions allow it to be a death spiral. A death spiral would be a disaster for the local jurisdictions. So I hope you will advocate to your local jurisdiction to make Metro funding a priority.

What exactly is there to fund? A system less and less people use? In what world does it make to flush money down the toilet like that? They need to shed costs first and get lean before demanding more taxpayer bailouts to pay themselves cushy salaries and so they can lose $1b next year and another $1b after that. Tax payers have infinitely deep pockets, right? Just keep on soaking taxpayers for this bloated mess.

Metro. You know, that thing that has stations, and you go in, and then you get on a train that runs on rails, sometimes underground, sometimes above ground, and when you get to your destination station, you get off the train, and you exit the station, and there you are where you wanted to go. It's been around since the 1970s. You should try it some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

How fascinating that you have this all figured out. It’s fare dodgers and safety!!!! Who knew?

It has nothing to do with a permanent shift in the way people work?

The metro needs to adapt their cost structure to the shift in the way people work then. That means eliminating jobs, getting rid of grossly overpaid union workers, and more automation.

So, Metro is actually doing that. And it doesn't mean eliminating jobs and union-busting. It means focusing less on morning/evening weekday peaks, and more on all-day and weekend frequencies.

Which is exactly why it is a death spiral. They’ll keep cutting service. Which means it is less and less convenient. Which means less riders. Which means worsening finances. And the spiral goes on.

They’ll keep cutting service before they eliminate jobs and grossly overpaid salaries. It’ll ruin the entire thing because unions gotta milk the golden calf as long as they can before it dies.

It will only be a death spiral if the local jurisdictions allow it to be a death spiral. A death spiral would be a disaster for the local jurisdictions. So I hope you will advocate to your local jurisdiction to make Metro funding a priority.

What exactly is there to fund? A system less and less people use? In what world does it make to flush money down the toilet like that? They need to shed costs first and get lean before demanding more taxpayer bailouts to pay themselves cushy salaries and so they can lose $1b next year and another $1b after that. Tax payers have infinitely deep pockets, right? Just keep on soaking taxpayers for this bloated mess.

Metro. You know, that thing that has stations, and you go in, and then you get on a train that runs on rails, sometimes underground, sometimes above ground, and when you get to your destination station, you get off the train, and you exit the station, and there you are where you wanted to go. It's been around since the 1970s. You should try it some time.

More and more people aren’t using it, sooooo….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, it might not go away. Have fun waiting 30 minutes to 1 hour between trains though when that’s the only way ot can remain economically viable, lol.

Roads are not economically viable, lol.

But at least I don’t gotta be held hostage by ridiculous wait times like the metro is foreseeing because it is in massive trouble and needs to severely cut service in order to rein in costs.

Are you joking! That's exactly what a traffic jam/rush hour is - ridiculous wait time to drive <10 miles. If all the people who are still taking metro started driving instead, traffic in the DMV would be even crazier! Metro needs a dedicated fund to subsidize it (like roads are basically fully subsidized).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Metro crying poor?

Is it Groundhog Day already?

Crying for yet another bailout, federal or state, they don't care.

Metro is a pension plan that happens to operate a transit network.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If metro dies, the city dies. It would be catastrophic. I would love for MD and VA to pay their fair share. Bowser should make this her #1 priority.

I would be OK with the city dying if if meant permanent WFH or my agency moving to the burbs. Would be great for the fed govt to start moving away from the city. Most fed employees would prefer not to have to ever come to the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

How fascinating that you have this all figured out. It’s fare dodgers and safety!!!! Who knew?

It has nothing to do with a permanent shift in the way people work?

The metro needs to adapt their cost structure to the shift in the way people work then. That means eliminating jobs, getting rid of grossly overpaid union workers, and more automation.

So, Metro is actually doing that. And it doesn't mean eliminating jobs and union-busting. It means focusing less on morning/evening weekday peaks, and more on all-day and weekend frequencies.

Which is exactly why it is a death spiral. They’ll keep cutting service. Which means it is less and less convenient. Which means less riders. Which means worsening finances. And the spiral goes on.

They’ll keep cutting service before they eliminate jobs and grossly overpaid salaries. It’ll ruin the entire thing because unions gotta milk the golden calf as long as they can before it dies.

It will only be a death spiral if the local jurisdictions allow it to be a death spiral. A death spiral would be a disaster for the local jurisdictions. So I hope you will advocate to your local jurisdiction to make Metro funding a priority.

What exactly is there to fund? A system less and less people use? In what world does it make to flush money down the toilet like that? They need to shed costs first and get lean before demanding more taxpayer bailouts to pay themselves cushy salaries and so they can lose $1b next year and another $1b after that. Tax payers have infinitely deep pockets, right? Just keep on soaking taxpayers for this bloated mess.

Metro. You know, that thing that has stations, and you go in, and then you get on a train that runs on rails, sometimes underground, sometimes above ground, and when you get to your destination station, you get off the train, and you exit the station, and there you are where you wanted to go. It's been around since the 1970s. You should try it some time.

More and more people aren’t using it, sooooo….

First of all, no, that's not true. Second of all, soooooo ... what? So the Metro system has gone poof? I assure you, it's still there. Try it some time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If metro dies, the city dies. It would be catastrophic. I would love for MD and VA to pay their fair share. Bowser should make this her #1 priority.

I would be OK with the city dying if if meant permanent WFH or my agency moving to the burbs. Would be great for the fed govt to start moving away from the city. Most fed employees would prefer not to have to ever come to the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Metro crying poor?

Is it Groundhog Day already?

Crying for yet another bailout, federal or state, they don't care.

Metro is a pension plan that happens to operate a transit network.

Why don't the union busters ever take aim at the unionized road construction industry?

[Anonymous]

Instead we spend billions building up a bike lane infrastructure that’s used by roughly 12 people