WMATA Board of Directors adopts FY2027 budget with expanded service and no fare increase

The WMATA Board of Directors today adopted a $4.8 billion operating and capital budget for Fiscal Year 2027, improving service without raising fares. Bus service improvements will take place in June, and additional bus and rail changes will be made in December.

The approved budget reflects Metro’s continued commitment to financial management and efficiency. While recognizing regional economic constraints and still improving service, this budget increases jurisdictional subsidy to less than 1.8%, significantly below the inflation rate and the 3% regional target.

"Over the past year, our Board has focused on ensuring transparency and accountability of WMATA operations and decision-making, ensuring that risks are mitigated appropriately, and that WMATA operates efficiently and safely,” said WMATA Board Chair Valerie Santos. “The budget that we adopted balances today's service needs with the budget realities of our local funding partners.”

The FY 2027 budget includes improvements on select Metro Bus routes in the District of Columbia and Virginia. Rail customers will see increased weekday off-peak service on the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines and additional late-night frequency on the Red Line. The capital budget includes funding for the first steps of rail modernization on the Red Line, Metro’s original line that opened more than 50 years ago.

“Metro has led the country in ridership growth in recent years, and this additional service will help meet the growing demand on bus and rail,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “We remain committed to running safe, frequent, and reliable service for our customers and planning for future rail modernization that would make Metro Rail even safer and more efficient.”

Metro Bus and Rail fares will remain at current rates. Starting July 1, Metro will administer a $3 administrative fee for each Abilities Ride trip. 

June Metro Bus service improvements

Starting June 21, several Metro Bus improvements will be implemented in D.C. and Virginia, including: 

• Increased frequency and shorter wait times on five routes
• Route enhancements on two routes
• Extended service hours on one route

Full details can be found in the table below.

December Metro Bus and Rail service improvements

In December, Metro Rail service will increase on select lines: 

• Orange, Silver, and Blue lines will arrive every 10 minutes on weekdays from system open through 9:30 p.m. (improved from 12 minutes off-peak)
• Red Line trains will arrive every 7-8 minutes after 9:30 p.m. daily (improved from 10 minutes)

Two new limited-stop routes in Virginia are also planned to begin in December. The funding for these routes is contingent on approval by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board this summer.

• Route F2X: Spring Hill station to West Alexandria via Leesburg Pike and Mark Center
• Route A6X: Dunn Loring station to Pentagon and Crystal City stations via Arlington Boulevard 

Capital Program

The WMATA Board-approved Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes a rail modernization program on the Red Line. This will facilitate a new Communications-Based Train Control signaling system, platform screen doors, and advanced technology to enhance capacity, safety, and reliability. The Red Line is 50 years old and moves more people daily than the three airports in the National Capital Region combined, making these improvements critical to Metro’s future.

The capital budget also includes investments in maintenance to ensure the state of good repair of the system. However, as highlighted by the DMVMoves initiative, Metro does not have the long-term, dedicated, and predictable capital funding needed to sustain these critical investments. Metro will continue working with the regional leaders and expects legislative approvals of DMVMoves funding in advance of adopting the FY28 Capital Budget and the FY28-33 Capital Improvement Program. We appreciate our regional partners for their collaboration and shared commitment to keeping the region moving.

CIP investments include:

• 8000-series railcar acquisition program (assembled locally in Maryland)
• Signal system upgrades and control room rehabilitation
• Track, bridge, and structural rehabilitation
• Tunnel water leak mitigation
• Station improvements including elevators and escalators, canopies, digital signage, and wayfinding
• Modernized fare payment systems

Metro Bus investments include:

• New 40-foot and 60-foot bus fleet
• New Bladensburg Bus Garage
• New Northern Bus Garage
• Bus shelter replacements on Metro property
• New customer information displays
• Metro Access vehicles

Organizational investments:

• State of the art training center
• Employee Resource Planning (ERP) and business systems
• Digital modernization technology

About Metro

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider, serving a population of approximately four million people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction. With a network of six rail lines, 98 stations, 126 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States serving 268.9 million trips in 2025 with a $5 billion operating and capital budget. Since 2022, Metro has completed multiple transit-oriented development projects that have brought $15 million in tax revenue to the region from housing, office, and retail space in our community.  Safety and security are core values at Metro. Over 30,000 cameras monitor the system, and Metro currently has the lowest crime rate in history with fare evasion down 82% on rail. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Metro the Transit Agency of the Year in recognition of industry-leading ridership growth, record high customer satisfaction, a newly redesigned Bus network, expanded rail service, and improved customer experience.