O RECOMMENDATIONS

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The staff is recommending this preliminary proposal for transmittal to the local jurisdictions and for further review and analysis by WMATA staff. In order to meet the anticipated operational date for Metrorail Phase II in early 1977, it will be necessary to finalize this plan by April, so that public hearings may be scheduled for early summer 1976. Such actions are necessary to allow the Schedule Department to complete its work assignments and to permit the Union required work selection process to commence so that service can be implemented with the inauguration of Metrorail service.

It should be noted that the staff is recommending the expanded service proposals to be included in the final plan. No doubt, other recommendations will surface as the proposals pass through the review process.

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I. INTRODUCTION

With a population of three million in 1972 and a projected increase to four and one-half million by 1992, the Washington metropolitan area is the seventh largest in the United States and has been one of the fastest growing. Between 1974 and 1980, about 173,000 households and 204,000 jobs are to be added and are expected to generate about 1.6 million daily person trips. Many of these trips will occur in areas already faced with severe congestion and limited transit service.

Improved public transportation is vital to the proper function and growth of our metropolitan area. The construction of Metrorail and the design of a consolidated unified feeder bus network will solve many of today's transportation problems. Planning to meet future transportation requirements for the region should provide for a coordinated system, including both efficient highway and mass transit facilities, making full use of the advantages of each mode of transportation.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority was created effective February 20, 1967, by interstate Compact by and between Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, pursuant to Public Law 89-774 approved November 6, 1966. The Authority's prime function is to plan, develop, finance and provide for the operation of a rapid rail transit system serving the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Zone. Also, with the recent Compact amendment, pursuant to Public Law 92-517, permitting the Authority to acquire the private bus companies in early 1973, all regular route urban bus service in the region is now under public ownership.

In the three years that the Authority has been operating bus service in this region, there have been some very gratifying accomplishments. Service increases in both quantity and quality can be demonstrated by the fact that bus miles have increased by 30 percent since acquisition and the consistent and increasing downward trend in ridership and service has not only been stopped but has been reversed.

Policy Objectives

The basic objective of the Authority is to establish and maintain high quality urban transit service in the region consistent with its legislative mandate and sound financial policies which assure sufficient funds to meet the cost of providing the service.

Goals

WMATA goals provide for the operation of high quality transit service, tempered by any social, economic and environmental constraints

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imposed in the future, to deal effectively with fuel shortage problems, air quality standards and increasing subsidy requirements.

Because of the complex nature of comprehensive planning in the National Capital Region, involving local governments and two States and the District of Columbia, and with major differences in political, social, economic and legislative characteristics, the adoption of an area-wide comprehensive regional rail-bus plan requires careful planning, close coordination and understanding.

III. METROBUS

General

In the Washington metropolitan area, mass transit bus service is provided by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) pursuant to Public Law 92-517, which provided for the acquisition of the operating assets of D.C. Transit System, Inc., the Washington, Virginia and Maryland Coach Company, Inc., the Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company, and the WMA Transit Company.

WMATA provides mass transit bus service within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Zone which consists of the District of Columbia, the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax, and the counties of Arlington and Fairfax and political subdivisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia located in those counties, and the counties of Montgomery and Prince George's in the State of Maryland and the political subdivisions of the State of Maryland located in those counties. Except for the lightly settled outer portions of Fairfax County, Virginia and Prince George's and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, mass transit bus services extend throughout the Zone.

With the delivery of the 620 AM General transit buses and the acquisition of the Shirley Highway Express Bus-On-Freeway buses, WMATA owns and operates 2,008 mass transit buses within the Zone. Additionally, 130 buses originally scheduled for retirement are being retained in a stand-by status to provide the means for meeting public demands for increased mass transit service in this present era of energy crisis.

WMATA

Mass transit bus service is provided on 830 individual routes on 145 lines over approximately 1,320 miles of area streets. operates 15,615 trips each weekday.

Service is provided 24 hours each day with weekday service being defined as: