Washington, DC –
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today praised his colleagues on the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, including fellow Marylander Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, for providing the first of 10-years of dedicated funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail.
“Last month’s tragedy was a wake-up call to all those who doubted the need to upgrade Metro’s aging infrastructure.
For 30 years, Metro has proven its value to our region and the federal government.
It is part of the transportation backbone of our Nation’s capital. But Metro has been stretched beyond its current capabilities and the federal government, one of the system’s main users, has not been paying its fair share,”
said Senator Cardin.
“Today, we are
one giant step closer to providing Metro with a crucial, dedicated funding source that will allow the second-busiest public rail system in the country to continue to function in the safest and most efficient manner possible.”
Late Tuesday, the Senate also approved the resolution needed to amend the interstate compact that provides for $1.5 billion over 10 years of federal funding matched dollar-for-dollar by Maryland, Virginia and DC, for a total of $3 billion for capital and preventive maintenance projects. The initial year $150 million funding provided by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee today matches the $150 million also provided for in the House of Representatives’ Transportation Appropriations bill.