By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 20, 2006; B06

The effort by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) to boost federal and regional support for the Metro transit system faces an uncertain future in the U.S. Senate and state capitals, despite his victory in the House of Representatives.

Much of Metrorail's system and equipment must be refurbished or replaced. At the same time, ridership is surging. More people took Metrorail last month than during any other month in the system's 30-year history. The average weekday ridership last month was 747,329, compared with 734,582 the previous June.

On Monday, the House narrowly approved legislation that would commit $1.5 billion over 10 years to improve Metro service if the region's governments match the money. The federal funds would come from federal revenue from offshore drilling operations. The District has agreed to provide a portion of its sales tax to Metro, but Maryland and Virginia have not acted.

Conservative groups, including the Club for Growth, say the proposed spending would be wasteful. And some senators might be eyeing the drilling proceeds for their states.

The federal and state funding, which together would add $300 million a year over 10 years, would pay for 340 rail cars and 275 buses and for station improvements.

Davis said it is up to the region's senators -- Virginia Republicans George Allen and John W. Warner and Maryland Democrats Barbara A. Mikulski and Paul S. Sarbanes -- to get the federal funding approved.

"We got it moving in the House. It was a huge hurdle," Davis said. "It's now up to Allen, Warner, Mikulski and Sarbanes."

Mikulski said through a spokeswoman that she is reviewing the legislation but is supportive of the concept. Sarbanes did not respond to a request for comment.

The support of Warner and Allen could be critical, because they can influence the Republican leadership. Allen sits on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is likely to handle the offshore drilling legislation. Warner is a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, which would also have a say.

Warner said through a spokesman that he supports the legislation. "The transit system is critical for the transportation needs of the nation's capital," he said in a statement.

Allen, who is facing reelection this year and might run for president in 2008, has not taken a public position. "He will certainly know where we stand," said John Taylor, president of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, a conservative think tank.

Taylor and other fiscal conservatives said the funding is little more than a subsidy for well-paid Washington commuters.

"This is the latest evidence that now there are not limits to the size of these egregious pork barrel projects," said Pat Toomey, president of the Club for Growth.

Allen's opponent in the Senate race, Democrat James Webb, has taken no position on Davis's effort, but his campaign said he supports more federal investment in Metro.

The District has approved a measure to dedicate 0.5 percent of sales tax revenue to Metro. But the Maryland and Virginia legislatures failed this year to agree on financing.

Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) said yesterday, "We're fully committed to matching those funds." Ehrlich's opponent in this year's election, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D), said he also supports a dedicated state revenue source for Metro.

Ehrlich declined to say whether he would set aside a portion of the state sales tax revenue as the funding source, saying he would rather use the transportation trust fund.

In Virginia, the state Senate approved a bill that would have allowed Northern Virginia jurisdictions to raise $50 million a year for the Metro through a quarter-cent sales tax increase. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) supported the legislation, but the House Finance Committee rejected it.

Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William), who voted to kill the Virginia Senate bill, said yesterday that legislators might have to revisit the issue if Davis's program passes the U.S. Senate. But Lingamfelter said the money would have to come from existing state revenue.

Staff writers Lena H. Sun and Matthew Mosk contributed to this report.