For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
STATEMENT OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL
PRESIDENT ROGER BERLINER ON MWCOG’S
METRO TECHNICAL PANEL REPORT
Last year, when I was honored to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, we identified the restoration of Metro to a world-class transit system as our number one priority. We created a Technical Panel of administrative officers from around the region and charged them with determining the best path forward to support our region’s most important transportation system and the key to our regional economy and mobility.
Today, they have delivered a report that should serve as a foundational analysis for how to achieve dedicated Metro funding. As was true of a report delivered by the Metro Funding Panel more than a decade ago, our panel has recommended a regional sales tax. This report recommends a 1 percent regional sales tax as the most equitable, efficient and best solution. The additional $650 million in annual funding would address Metro’s capital needs and some of its most pressing operational needs. It aligns with an analysis that Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld delivered last week that makes clear a dedicated funding source is needed to restore the system. Metro is the only major transit system in the country not to have dedicated funding.
This is our moment. We have excellent leadership. Progress is being made and performance metrics are in place. We cannot wait any longer to provide the resources necessary to reclaim the quality of service our residents deserve and demand.
The region has now been challenged to succeed where previous efforts have faltered. There is skepticism as to whether we can. It is on us as elected leaders to prove that skepticism wrong. I remain optimistic that we will prevail because failure is not an option.
COG TECHNICAL PANEL FINAL REPORT ON METRO 4-26-17
Berliner-Statement on COG Technical Panel Report 4-26-17