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New Metrorail lines are unlikely to be a regional priority in the immediate future as officials focus on less costly transit improvements and a projected Metro funding gap of $450 million to $600 million a year.

That view dominated a March 24 meeting of the DMV Moves task force, though members remained divided over whether the region should scale back its rail ambitions.

The task force, sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, first convened on June 10, 2024. It is expected to recommend dedicated transit funding options in May.

State Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat representing Virginia’s 34th District, pushed hardest for additional rail lines and stations, arguing that expansion had disappeared from the discussion.

Without the prospect of new rail service, Surovell said, winning public support for more transit funding could prove difficult. He warned that residents may perceive the emerging approach as allowing communities with rail to keep it while everyone else must rely on buses.

“The ‘haves’ keep their rail system; everybody else has to ride a bus,” Surovell said. “That, I don’t think, sells well politically.”

He also argued that a world-class region should pursue a world-class transit network rather than accept a less ambitious system.

Tracy Hadden Loh, a D.C. representative on WMATA’s board, said major rail expansion requires more preparation and a different approach to construction costs.

“We’re just not ready to have the conversation, because we haven’t figured out how to [expand rail service] the way the rest of the world does it,” Loh said.

She cautioned against spending billions or trillions of dollars to build what she called “yesterday’s transit.” Instead, she recommended making strategic, affordable investments now and reassessing the region’s position later.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said alternatives could attract riders without the enormous capital costs associated with rail.

“I would not mortgage my future to say everything needs to go into Metrorail,” Elrich said.

He cited the Purple Line, a 16-mile east-west light-rail project now scheduled to open in 2027 after repeated delays and rising costs. Metro’s Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport and beyond faced similar setbacks before opening in November 2022.

Elrich said a bus rapid transit system could have been completed sooner than the Purple Line.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay also emphasized the financial limits facing local governments, particularly in Northern Virginia, where jurisdictions cover a substantial share of transit subsidies.

“You don’t get to get everything,” McKay said, noting that rail is expensive and can affect existing service.

McKay rejected the suggestion that bus riders are transit “have nots,” saying buses must be treated as an important and equitable part of the regional network.

Surovell clarified that he was not advocating rail service everywhere, acknowledging that such an approach would be unrealistic. But he maintained that rail would be preferable to conventional buses or bus rapid transit in some corridors.

“I’m not convinced BRT is the perfect solution everybody thinks it is,” Surovell said. He also warned of political consequences for elected officials who support converting car lanes to BRT.

Fairfax County has spent years planning BRT projects along Richmond Highway and Route 7, but construction has not begun in either corridor.

McKay said riders appear more concerned about the quality and reliability of the entire transit system than about the particular mode used.

“What I hear mostly from my constituents, over the course of a decade, has been ‘Can you just get the system to work better?’” he said.

Metro officials presented a proposal at the meeting that would increase regional support by $450 million to $500 million annually beginning in fiscal year 2028. That amount would then rise by 3% each year.

A separate proposal would provide another $50 million to $100 million annually for bus network improvements. It also would begin in fiscal year 2028 and increase by 3% a year, though officials indicated it could be treated as an optional enhancement rather than a core requirement.

WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke said dependable, indexed funding would be more valuable than a larger amount that could not be anticipated from year to year.

“Getting a little less money and getting that indexing and predictability is better than getting a little more money with no predictability,” Clarke said.

The task force has also been considering possible sources of transit funding, but members did not discuss updated options on March 24. Paying for the proposals is expected to become a central issue when the group meets again on May 16.