WASHINGTON 鈥� Even as riders challenged Metro proposals to cut eight hours of rail service each week, a key piece of information that could shape the Metro Board鈥檚 decision is missing: the significant differences in the potential financial and track-work impacts of each proposal.
While each of the service cut plans put forward by Metro staff would cut eight hours of rail service, the difference in cost could be significant between cutting multiple hours on a single day versus cutting a half-hour here and there.
Several Metro Board members said even they have not yet been told what the differences in potential cost savings or actual track work impacts would be from the four proposals put forward by the transit agency.
That also meant the direct impact on riders鈥� trips was the only angle public commenters could address at Thursday鈥檚 hourslong stop-and-go public hearing 鈥� even as Metro is separately warning that budget pressures or fare hikes.
General Manager Paul Wiedefeld acknowledged outside the hearing room that the different service cut proposals would lead to big differences in what work Metro can actually get done during off-hours.
“If we pick up more larger blocks of time we get more done, for certain,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get the bigger spaces of time.鈥�
Longer blocks of time reduce the overhead of work zone set up and break down time, which can take 30 minutes to an hour.
鈥淲e are paying the individuals, the labor, to be out there the same time, and you鈥檙e just squeezing the amount of work they can do to smaller amounts of time,鈥� he added.
But Wiedefeld did not provide the details on the work or financial differences among the plans or the different impacts of replacement bus proposals.
Although it is not a direct comparison to longer-term changes, when Metro used to accept requests to stay open for special events, it required a security of $29,500 from event organizers that would be reimbursed based on the number of riders during the additional hour of service. A budget document suggested in 2015 that Metro raise that charge to $50,000 to get closer to the actual cost of the service.
Even based only on that $50,000 number, without accounting for other costs and changes, the operational savings could be more than $20 million per year in addition to any savings that are actually realized if work becomes more efficient or jobs are cut.
Some of that money could go to replacement bus service. Several sources within Metro told 草莓传媒 proposed at the times when the rail system is newly closed would cost about $4 million per year. But even the bus plan itself noted that it would not provide a good option for a majority of today鈥檚 riders.
Shuttle buses running along the entire rail system are estimated to cost closer to $15 million per year.
The Metro Board could still adjust the closure proposals to come up with a fifth option on the rails or additional suggestions for replacement bus service. Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans also noted at Thursday鈥檚 public hearing, the Metro Board could take no action and leave the system to return this spring to the hours that existed before Wiedefeld ordered midnight closings on weekends.
When asked whether he would be willing to compromise on the additional eight hours he says are needed for improved inspections and maintenance work, Wiedefeld simply said he needs 鈥渢o get some solid time out there to do the work and do it correctly.鈥�
Opponents of cuts to rail service hours point to other systems around the world that do maintenance even while running mostly around the clock. They鈥檝e also raised concerns about Metro鈥檚 continued , including incidents where workers are left standing around waiting for approvals to access the tracks.
Even in the best scenarios under the older 3 a.m. weekend closings though, 鈥測ou鈥檙e getting roughly two hours鈥� worth of work, and we鈥檙e paying the people,鈥� Wiedefeld said, referring to areas where there is no single-tracking or station closures.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more efficient obviously to get them to do more work and obviously have them get in a rhythm and just do it, rather than: 鈥業鈥檝e got an hour and a half to get something done and I鈥檓 already thinking about getting out of here,鈥� he said.
The public comment period on the service cut proposals and replacement bus options is open through Oct. 25.
In November, a summary of the comments is expected to be presented to the Metro Board.
A final vote on potential cuts could come in December.
