"I think we have done a lot so far, but to explicitly state what each jurisdiction would intend as their dedicated source, I think it's early yet," she said.
Davis said he was encouraged to see the region's leaders responding to his "$1.5 billion carrot" and beginning a difficult process.
"If it were that easy, it would have been done a long time ago. You have different political cultures, different rules. You have different funding formulas in each of the jurisdictions. So it's not surprising that they don't come to any quick consensus," Davis said.
He said the legislation was designed to offer maximum flexibility. "We leave it up to them. . . . They can cut other things, they can take it out of the growth in government, or they can come up with additional revenues."
Davis also said he hopes that Congress will agree to give Metro the full $1.5 billion. "The answer is, I think it will be there over the [10-year] period," he said, adding that he hopes the bill will become law within a year and a half.
There were indications that some officials are eager to move forward quickly.
Del. Carolyn J.B. Howard (D-Prince George's) said she and other members of the House Ways and Means Committee need a draft of Maryland's dedicated funding proposal within a few days so it can be approved for consideration by an Oct. 14 deadline.
But just what that legislation would say remains unclear. Maryland Secretary of Transportation Robert L. Flanagan said he is working with Davis's staff to determine what counts as dedicated funding. He would not say what he supports for the effort.
"The important thing here is not to emphasize quickness but to emphasize sure-footedness and determination," he said.
Gus Bauman, a District lawyer who was on a commission that recommended dedicating 0.5 percent of the sales tax from across the region to Metro, said he is not disturbed by the pace or lack of specifics.
"It doesn't have to be sales tax, and it doesn't have to be the same thing for all three," he said. "I have always known this is going to move at a snail's pace. But the snail often wins the race against the rabbit that collapses."
