MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md (WDVM) – Following the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s announcement for budget cuts, Montgomery county officials held a press conference on Wednesday to criticize their proposal.
The blowback comes after WMATA’s 2021 Metro Budget announcement, which proposes the closing of 19 stations, cutting back on weekend services, and closing at 9 p.m.
County councilmember Nancy Navarro says the budget cuts could be catastrophic for those who rely on the metro for transport, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities within the county.
“The socio-economic and health disparities, the uneven situation that many of our residents are facing will only be exacerbated by not having access to critical transportation that then helps them, at least those who can continue to go to work,” Navarro said.
WMATA reports they have a budget gap of nearly 500 million-dollars with cutbacks taking effect as early as next summer.
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