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Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress has a long history of supporting the regional mobility needs of the federal city and its environs in order to ensure adequate transportation facilities for federal workers, the population of the region and for tourists visiting the nation s capital; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress, in the 1997 U. S. Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, directed the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to conduct an independent study to analyze how to meet current and future bus transportation needs for the greater Washington metropolitan region through the year 2020; and WHEREAS, the WMATA Board of Directors appointed the Regional Mobility Panel, a group of regional government, business, labor and citizen leaders, in January 1997 and charged that panel with the responsibility of addressing the concerns expressed by Congress concerning the rising costs and fragmentation of regional bus services; and WHEREAS, the Regional Mobility Panel met seven times since February 1997, and invested a significant amount of time as a group and individually to reach an understanding of the issues facing bus transportation in the Washington area and to develop recommendations to improve regional mobility; and WHEREAS, the Regional Mobility Panel approved its report and its recommendations for improving regional mobility on September 26, 1997, and transmitted the report to the WMATA Board of Directors for its consideration; and WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has reviewed the Regional Mobility Panel report and the recommendations contained therein; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors accepts the report of the Regional Mobility Panel for implementation in cooperation with the local jurisdictions of the Washington metropolitan area; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors expresses appreciation to the U.S. Congress for its interest in supporting regional mobility and for its encouragement of the Washington area to develop actions to meet current and future bus transportation needs; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors commends each member of the Regional Mobility Panel for their exceptional efforts to devise a plan that ensures the predictability and stability of regional Metrobus services and fosters the development of new bus services; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors anticipates receipt of recommendations from the Regional Mobility Panel on the issue of long term, reliable, predictable and adequate funding of the WMATA bus and rail Capital Improvement Program; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report of the Regional Mobility Panel shall be forwarded to Congress; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall be effective immediately. Reviewed for Legal Sufficiency and Form: Robert L. Polk, Genera1 Counsel Back to Regional Mobility Panel Report Table of Contents The Honorable Jack Evans Dear Mr. Evans: I am hereby forwarding to the WMATA Board of Directors the report on the region's bus services by the Regional Mobility Panel. The Panel voted to approve the report on September 26, 1997. The Regional Mobility Panel's recommendations recognize the critical need to stabilize and enhance a regional bus system that will meet current and future travel demands of the Washington region. These recommendations constitute a dramatic departure from the past. The new Metrobus system will have a regional orientation, and will be planned and operated by WMATA in consultation with local jurisdictions. It will be part of a coordinated and integrated regional system with non-regional bus services that are controlled locally. For the first time, there will be a continuing multi-year commitment by local jurisdictions to funding the regional Metrobus network utilizing a new, more equitable, and updated subsidy allocation formula similar to the one used to allocate Metrorail subsidies. The Panel has strongly endorsed the policy of no layoffs of WMATA unionized operating employees as a result of implementing these recommendations. I believe the Regional Mobility Panel's recommendations on these issues will provide an improved framework for delivering existing bus services as well as addressing service improvements and new services. This will lead to much needed stability and predictability for Metrobus regional routes, while providing the opportunity for Metrobus to pursue non-regional services with local jurisdictions. The Regional Mobility Panel is currently working on the issue of the funding necessary to maintain the Metrobus and Metrorail system so as to assure continued high quality service. In the coming months, the Panel will provide the WMATA Board of Directors with recommendations on long term, reliable, predictable and adequate funding for the Authority's bus and rail Capital Improvement Program. I respectfully request the WMATA Board of Directors to accept this report and forward it to the U.S. Congress and to the participating local jurisdictions. Sincerely, Back to Regional Mobility Panel Report Table of Contents RESOLUTION OF THE REGIONAL MOBILITY PANEL WHEREAS, a Regional Mobility Panel of govemment, business, labor and citizen representatives was appointed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors in response to the resolution of the Regional Mobility Investment Conference and report language in the 1997 U.S. Department of Transportation Appropriations bill approved by the U.S. Congress; and WHEREAS, the Regional Mobility Panel was charged with the responsibility for addressing the rising cost and fragmentation of the region's bus service, assessing the current and future bus transportation needs of the Washington region and proposing and seeking a predictable, reliable and adequate financing mechanism for the Metro system; and WHEREAS, the Regional Mobility Panel has met seven times since February, 1997 in order to report to the WMATA Board of Directors by September 30, 1997; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Regional Mobility Panel hereby adopts the following Principles for Coordinated Bus Service in the Washington Metropolitan Area, and recommends their adoption by the WMATA Board of Directors:
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution is adopted on the 26th day of September 1997 transmitting the Panel's report to the WMATA Board of Directors for their consideration. John G. Milliken, Chairman Back to Regional Mobility Panel Report Table of Contents Report of the Regional Mobility Panel to the Committees on Appropriationsof the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate Volume One: Panel ReportCommissioned by: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority prepared with the assistance of: September 30, 1997 Back to Regional Mobility Panel Report Table of Contents REGIONAL MOBILITY PANEL
Back to Regional Mobility Panel Report Table of Contents The Interstate Compact Agreement establishing the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) 30 years ago by the U. S. Congress, the States of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia envisioned a regionally coordinated bus and rail system for the Washington, DC metropolitan area. While the regional rail system is well on its way toward completion, the regional bus system has evolved as a set of separate operations with policy decisions on fares and services largely determined by local jurisdictions. This condition began in 1973 as WMATA assumed the operation of bus services that were primarily provided by four major private bus operators whose financial viability began to erode in the late 1960's/early 1970's. Since that time, the WMATA bus system has functioned as a contract operation serving at the discretion of local jurisdictions. Over time the situation has resulted in inconsistent fares and services, and in routes remaining largely unaltered in the face of dramatic changes in population and employment centers. Further, several jurisdictions have opted to establish their own bus systems. Rather than face continued fragmentation of the regional bus system, the Regional Mobility Panel, a group of local elected officials and community leaders from throughout the Washington, DC area appointed by the WMATA Board of Directors to address this issue, has drafted a plan to strengthen and stabilize the regional bus system serving the national capital region. Through a process of information gathering, community outreach and decision meetings, the Panel concluded that a stable regional bus system is necessary if the Washington area is to maintain and enhance its economic vitality. Under the integrated regional bus system proposed by the Panel, for the first time there will be an ongoing commitment by local jurisdictions to a set of truly regional bus services planned and operated by WMATA, in consultation with local jurisdictions. These bus services will be coordinated and integrated with a set of non-regional bus services planned and provided through decisions by local jurisdictions in a manner similar to the way all bus services are handled today. WMATA will be able to operate these services at the discretion of local jurisdictions. A new benefits-based subsidy allocation formula for regional bus routes is recommended to address inequities and inefficiencies in the existing formula. The shortcomings of the existing formula impact proper business decisions, and encourage participants to abandon the regional system. The revised formula is similar to the existing and regionally accepted formula for the Metrorail system, and it will be updated periodically to remain current and equitable. The Panel also established a subcommittee to assess the magnitude of the need to fully fund the WMATA bus and rail Capital Improvement Program. The Panel will reconvene within six months to recommend a course of action designed to ensure reliable, predictable and adequate funding for this purpose. The Panel recommends a five-year transition period to the new integrated bus system, along with a strong commitment that implementation of the plan will not result in any layoffs of WMATA unionized operating employees. No bus subsidy increases or bus fare increases will occur through FY 2002. The transition plan will also include strategies to improve bus service through coordinated and market-based service planning; fare simplification and integration; and comprehensive marketing and customer information services. These strategies are designed to make the region's bus services more "user friendly" and customer- oriented, with the goal of providing incentives to increase ridership. |
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