WMATA adjusts FY12 budget

Washington Metropolitain Area Transit Authority has adjusted next fiscal year's budget to reflect an improvement of $6 million, based on nine months of actual spending data, job growth forecasts and rising gas prices, which support conservative ridership growth projections. 

 The revised FY 2012 budget means that WMATA expects its operating expenses to be $2 million less than the FY12 budget originally proposed in January, or essentially flat. The update also includes a revised request for an increase in operating subsidies from the jurisdictions, from the original request of $72 million, down to $66 million. 
 
 The budget proposal does not include fare increases or major service cuts and incorporates $74.2 million in operating cost reductions. To provide the revised level of support, the Board has a number of options to consider, including the request for $66 million in additional jurisdiction subsidies. 

 Those alternatives include monetizing certain ground leases, budgeting preventive maintenance at FY 2011 levels, adjusting reserve for wages, as well as realigning certain bus services and changing the frequency of late-night, weekend rail service. 



 The Board is slated to act on the FY 2012 budget in June, and any service changes they adopt would take effect September 2011.