Elected leaders and top transportation officials from Maryland, Virginia and the District agreed in principle yesterday to find a dedicated source of money for the Metro transit system, but details of where they might find the funds are a long way off.
The agreement came at a meeting called to determine whether the region could take advantage of an offer from Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.): Find a dedicated funding source, and Congress will give Metro $1.5 billion to take care of its major needs.
The leaders also agreed to begin the task of establishing an office of inspector general to oversee Metro, a measure also called for in Davis's bill.
Yet Davis's financial incentive does not guarantee that yesterday's agreement will yield regional cooperation. Many officials declined to offer specifics about how they would raise the needed revenue.
"It might be for negotiating purposes. It might be for ideological purposes. But at the end of the day, voters are not going to forgive excuses," said David F. Snyder, who chairs the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. While yesterday's agreement keeps needed attention on the issue, he said, it does not go far enough. "The tough questions really remain."
The region's patchwork of oft-competing governments has had trouble dealing with major cross-boundary challenges such as traffic congestion.
Contrasting political systems, views and timing add complexity. Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) leaves office in January, and legislative elections are to be held in November, leaving many of the participants in any future agreement unknown. Pierce R. Homer, Virginia's secretary of transportation, acknowledged that uncertainty yesterday and said it is affecting "people's willingness to tackle this issue."
D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) is leaving office at the end of next year as well.
Some regional tension was evident yesterday. One question that has sharpened debate is how much each jurisdiction's future Metro subsidy will be. D.C. officials keep raising the issue, while Maryland and Virginia officials warn that it could distract from the goal of capturing the offer in Davis's bill.
D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) called the city's Metro contribution too burdensome and argued that the city has serious competing priorities. "The two largest tappers are Metro and education, and we need to do something," she said.
Cropp called Davis's bill an opportunity to grasp "an entirely different approach to funding Metro" but declined to say what that approach would be.
D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he did not support a new sales tax for Metro funding, while Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) said he could support a slight increase. Council member Carol Schwartz (At Large) would not say what she supports, but as a Republican, she offered to lobby Maryland's Republican governor and Virginia's GOP-controlled legislature on the importance of coming up with dedicated revenue.
