In the United States , an interstate compact is a pact or agreement between two or more states , or between states and any foreign sub-national government.
109-575: The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ( WMATA / w ə ˈ m ɑː t ə / wə- MAH -tə ), commonly referred to as Metro , is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area . WMATA provides rapid transit service under the Metrorail name, fixed-route bus service under the Metrobus brand, and paratransit service under
218-596: A body. No Member individually shall direct or supervise the General Manager or any WMATA employee or contractor." The board approves WMATA's annual budget. The budget was approximately $ 3.1 billion in fiscal year 2019. That same year also saw 40.3% of revenues coming from capital contributions, 23.2% from passenger revenues, 31.7% from local jurisdiction operations funding, 3.5% from interest income, 1.6% from advertising revenue, 0.9% from rental revenue, and 0.2% from other sources. As of July 2018, The WMATA board had
327-458: A certain multi-state region, may be open to all states and insular areas, or may be open to subnational governments in other countries. Interstate compacts are distinct from, but may involve aspects of, the following: Several interstate compacts may establish multi-state agencies in order to coordinate policy between, or perform tasks on behalf of, member states. Such agencies may take the form of commissions, with at least one representative from
436-626: A code of conduct for board members. The general manager is the chief executive officer of WMATA and leads all staff except that the general counsel, inspector general, and board secretary, who report directly to the board. WMATA has a chief safety officer which reports to the general manager. The safety of the system is independently reviewed by the Tri-State Oversight Committee and the National Transportation Safety Board . On March 4, 2010,
545-479: A compact. Congress must explicitly approve any compact that would give a state power that is otherwise designated to the federal government . Treaties between the states, ratified under the Articles of Confederation during the period after American independence in 1776 until the current U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1789, are grandfathered and treated as interstate compacts. This includes agreements like
654-754: A first-come, first-served basis and fill up quickly each day. Thirty-six stations offer reserved parking, with customers purchasing permits to park in specified spaces. Four Metrorail stations (Greenbelt, Huntington, Franconia–Springfield, and Wiehle-Reston East) have spaces reserved for multi-day parking for up to ten days. Parking fees are paid by SmarTrip card or credit card. Cash payments are not accepted for parking fees. Metrobus' fleet consists of 1,505 buses covering an area of 1,500 square miles (3,900 km) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are 269 bus routes serving 11,129 stops, including 2,554 bus shelters. Metrobus had 130.8 million trips in 2016. On
763-612: A foreign Power,..." However, in a report released in October 2019 about the proposed National Popular Vote Interstate Compact , the Congressional Research Service (CRS) cited the U.S. Supreme Court 's ruling in Virginia v. Tennessee (1893)—reaffirmed in U.S. Steel Corp. v. Multistate Tax Commission (1978) and Cuyler v. Adams (1981)—that ruled that explicit congressional consent of interstate compacts
872-499: A formula that equally considers three factors: Under this formula, the District of Columbia contributes the greatest amount (37.5%), followed by Prince George's County (20.8%), Montgomery County (16.6%), Fairfax County (13.5%), and 11.6% from all other jurisdictions. From time to time, a local jurisdiction will agree to subsidize a specific fare, with the jurisdiction funding the cost of the subsidy in addition to its contribution under
981-480: A history of the development of the Metro system for WMATA using such documents as Congressional hearing transcripts, correspondence, and maps. This Metro History Project was abandoned in 1985, and materials that had been collected up until that point (1930-1984) were donated to George Washington University . As of 2018, this collection of materials was under the care of GWU's Special Collections Research Center, located in
1090-555: A member state. Alternatively, member states to a compact may opt for cooperation with a single independent non-profit organization which carries out designated tasks without government funding. The Compact Clause ( Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 ) of the United States Constitution provides that "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress ,... enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with
1199-787: A new regional entity. The authority was created by an interstate compact , a special type of contract or agreement between one or more states. Pursuant to the Compact Clause of the U.S. Constitution, any such compact must be approved by Congress. After the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact was approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 1965, and passed through the Virginia General Assembly and Congress in 1966, WMATA
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#17327730750091308-589: A permanent basis before he resigned to work as D.C. City Administrator under Mayor Adrian Fenty . On November 6, 2006, Tangherlini was replaced as interim general manager by Jack Requa, Metro's chief bus manager. John B. Catoe Jr. , who was previously the deputy chief executive officer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority , became the agency's eighth permanent general manager on January 25, 2007. He resigned three years later following
1417-577: A presence in the area include Fortrea , IQVIA , Charles River Laboratories , and ICON plc . The area's medical research is driven by government and non-profit health institutions, such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute , J. Craig Venter Institute , and the National Institutes of Health . Local consumer goods companies include Nestle USA and Mars, Incorporated . Many defense contractors are based in
1526-482: A result, the region's political and business leaders created a committee to look at new ways to fund the system, including some type of dedicated tax. Title VI of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 , signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 16, 2008, authorized a grant of $ 1.5 billion over a 10-year period for Metrorail capital maintenance projects. The grant
1635-457: A significant biotechnology industry; companies with a major presence in the region as of 2011 include Merck , Pfizer , Human Genome Sciences , Martek Biosciences , and Qiagen . Additionally, many biotechnology companies such as United Therapeutics , Novavax , Emergent BioSolutions , Parabon NanoLabs and MedImmune have headquarters in the region. The area is also home to branch offices of many contract research organizations . Firms with
1744-582: A significant shuffling of military, civilian, and defense contractor employees in the Washington metropolitan area. The largest individual site impacts of the time are as follows: BRAC 2005 was the largest infrastructure expansion by the Army Corps of Engineers since World War II , resulting in the Mark Center , tallest building they have ever constructed, as well as National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus East, which at 2.4 million square feet
1853-535: A temporary restraining order against the KBC Bank Group . KBC claimed that the WMATA was in technical default of a contract following the collapse of American International Group , which had guaranteed the loan that KBC made to WMATA in 2002. The contract involved the sale to KBC of WMATA's rail cars, which were then leased back to WMATA. The transit agency asked for an injunction from the U.S. District Court for
1962-426: A tool of state cooperation and mutual recognition on infrastructure, services and professional licensing, often to ease administrative barriers and reduce costs and litigation. In some cases, an agreement will create a new multi-state governmental agency which is responsible for administering or improving some shared resource such as a seaport or public transportation infrastructure. Compacts may also be limited to
2071-420: A typical weekday, it provides more than 400,000 trips. The route numbering represents its region of operation. To differ the regions numbering system, letters for Maryland routes appear before the route number and the ones for Virginia routes appear after it. For example, A12 serves Maryland, and 17M serves Virginia. Metroway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) service that began on August 24, 2014. The first phase
2180-423: Is a local news provider available only to cable subscribers. Radio stations serving the area include: WETA-FM , WIHT , WSBN , and WTOP . 38°53′24″N 77°02′48″W / 38.89000°N 77.04667°W / 38.89000; -77.04667 Interstate compact Most early interstate compacts resolved boundary disputes, but since the early 20th century, compacts have increasingly been used as
2289-452: Is a significant industry in the Washington metropolitan region. In 2015, more than 74,000 tourism-sector jobs existed in the District of Columbia, a record-setting 19.3 million domestic tourists visited the city, and domestic and international tourists combined spent $ 7.1 billion. The convention industry is also significant; in 2016, D.C. hosted fifteen "city-wide conventions" with an estimated total economic impact of $ 277.9 million. Tourism
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#17327730750092398-659: Is also significant outside the District of Columbia; in 2015, a record-setting $ 3.06 billion in tourism spending was reported in Arlington , Virginia, and $ 2.9 billion in Fairfax County , Virginia. A 2016 National Park Service report estimated that there were 56 million visitors to national parks in the National Capital Region, sustaining 16,917 and generating close to $ 1.6 billion in economy impact. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure resulted in
2507-494: Is included – and 23rd in the entire United States. 12.2% of Northern Virginia's 881,136 households, 8.5% of suburban Maryland's 799,300 households, and 8.2% of Washington's 249,805 households have an annual income in excess of $ 200,000, compared to 3.7% nationally. According to a report by the American Human Development Project , women in the Washington metropolitan area are ranked as having
2616-545: Is less than half the size of L.A., but both cities have around 100,000 Ph.D.'s." The Washington metropolitan area has held the top spot in the American College of Sports Medicine 's annual American Fitness Index ranking of the United States' 50 most populous metropolitan areas for two years running. The report cites, among other things, the high average fitness level and healthy eating habits of residents,
2725-495: Is made up of periodicals such as National Affairs , those by The Slate Group , Foreign Policy , National Geographic , The American Prospect , and those by Atlantic Media , including The Atlantic . There are also many smaller regional publications present, such as The Washington Diplomat , The Hill , Hill Rag , Roll Call , Washington City Paper and the Washington Examiner . Anchored by
2834-514: Is modified to allow Virginia's Governor to appoint two of the four Virginia seats, instead of the localities. On June 17, 2010, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff required a formal commitment from Virginia to match its share of the federal funds if the federal funding is to continue. On July 1, 2010, the WMATA Board of Directors agreed to provide matching funds without regard to McDonnell's request for Board seats. Based on this agreement,
2943-535: Is not required for agreements "which the United States can have no possible objection or have any interest in interfering with" (in addition to ruling that the words "agreement" and "compact" used in the Compact Clause are synonyms). Instead, the Court required explicit congressional consent for interstate compacts that are "directed to the formation of any combination tending to the increase of political power in
3052-459: Is surrounded by Interstate 495 with the locations inside of it referred to as Inside the Beltway . Washington, D.C., which is at the center of the area, is sometimes referred to as the District because of its status as a federal district, which makes it not part of any state. The Virginian portion of the region is known as Northern Virginia . The Maryland portion of the region is sometimes called
3161-621: Is the Crystal City / Potomac Yard Transitway, which operates on Route 1 in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. It is a 5-mile (8.0 km) corridor with 33 platforms and 20 stations located between Pentagon City and Braddock Road . The first 0.8 mile segment in Alexandria runs on a transit lane only. The Arlington County segment began construction in the summer of 2014 and opened April 17, 2016. Metroway originally operated between
3270-528: Is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States in average daily ridership after the New York City Subway The record for daily ridership was 1.12 million on January 20, 2009, the day of Barack Obama 's first Presidential Inauguration , followed by the Women's March on January 21, 2017, with 1,001,613 trips. In 2016, Metrorail had nearly 180 million trips. Fares vary based on
3379-856: Is the largest building the Corps have constructed since the Pentagon . "WMATA"-indicated systems are run by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and always accept Washington Metro fare cards; others may or may not. Listing of the professional sports teams in the Washington metropolitan area: The Washington metropolitan area is home to DCTV , USA Today , C-SPAN , PBS , NPR , Politico , BET , TV One and Discovery Communications . The two main newspapers are The Washington Post and The Washington Times . Local television channels include WRC-TV 4 (NBC), WTTG 5 (FOX), WJLA 7 (ABC), WUSA 9 (CBS), WDCA 20 (MyNetworkTV), WETA-TV 26 (PBS), WDCW 50 (CW), and WPXW 66 ( Ion ). WJLA 24/7 News
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3488-413: Is the third-largest combined statistical area in the country. The Washington metropolitan area is one of the most educated and affluent metropolitan areas in the U.S. The metro area anchors the southern end of the densely populated Northeast megalopolis with an estimated total population of 6,304,975 as of 2023 estimates, making it the seventh-most populous metropolitan area in the nation, as well as
3597-655: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that are partially funded by the federal government. However, most of the system's debt is financed directly by each local jurisdiction. In addition, WMATA was authorized to receive $ 202 million in grants from the federal government for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects. The funds are spent in 30 projects which include information technology, facilities maintenance, and vehicles and vehicle parts. On January 14, 2010, general manager John B. Catoe announced his resignation from Metro, effective April 2, 2010. He
3706-476: The Brookings Institution released a report entitled "Deficits by Design" that found the agency's serious budgetary challenges owe in large part to its problematic revenue base. Most notably, Brookings found that WMATA's extraordinary lack of dedicated funding sources has necessitated an over-reliance on annually appropriated support that makes the agency vulnerable to perennial financial crises. As
3815-639: The D.C. area , Greater Washington , the National Capital Region , or locally as the DMV (short for District of Columbia , Maryland , and Virginia ), is the metropolitan area centered around Washington, D.C. , the federal capital of the United States . The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia . It is part of the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area , which
3924-667: The Dulles Technology Corridor , the telecommunications and tech industry in DC spans a diverse range of players across internet infrastructure, broadcasting, satellite communications, and datacenters. Firms headquartered in the area include Cogent Communications , GTT Communications , Hughes Network Systems , iCore Networks , Iridium Communications , Intelsat , Ligado Networks , NII Holdings , Oceus Networks , OneWeb , Tegna Inc. , Transaction Network Services , Verisign , WorldCell , and XO Communications . Tourism
4033-645: The Federal Transit Administration issued an Audit of the State Safety Oversight (SSO) program overseeing Metro which criticised the SSO as being underfunded and poorly trained. In response, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia have increased their SSO funding and training for their employees responsible for safety oversight at Metro. Jackson Graham , a retired general in the Army Corps of Engineers who supervised
4142-641: The Metro Transit Police Department . Starting in the mid-19th century, the Washington area had been served by a variety of private bus lines and streetcar services , including extensions of Northern Virginia trolleys . Over time, most were absorbed into the Capital Transit Company , formed on December 1, 1933, by the amalgamation of the Washington Railway and Electric Company , Capital Traction , and
4251-468: The MetroAccess brand. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 239,741,800, or about 844,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The agency participates in regional transportation planning and the execution of transit infrastructure projects. Recent projects include an infill station serving Potomac Yard and an extension of Metrorail to Dulles International Airport . WMATA was created in
4360-531: The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 , the WMATA Compact was amended on August 19, 2009, to allow the appointment of four additional board members by the federal government, bringing the total to sixteen. As of March 2018, there were a total of sixteen board members: eight voting members and eight alternates. Virginia, Maryland, and the District had each appointed two voting members and two alternate members. The Federal Government, through
4469-497: The Secretary of Transportation , is authorized to appoint up to two voting and two alternate members. Board members serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for actual expenses. The board appoints a general manager as CEO to supervise the day-to-day operation of the authority. Under the terms of the "Procedures for WMATA Board of Directors", none of the individual board members, including the chairman, have any power to act regarding
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4578-582: The Treaty of Beaufort , which set the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina in 1787, and is still in effect. Prior to 1922, most interstate compacts were either border agreements between states or advisory compacts, the latter of which are tasked with conducting joint studies to report back to the respective state legislatures. With the creation of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1922, administrative compacts began to develop as
4687-447: The U.S. Senate , and the U.S. House of Representatives . MWCOG provides a forum for discussion and the development of regional responses to issues regarding the environment, transportation, public safety, homeland security, affordable housing, community planning, and economic development. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board , a component of MWCOG, is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for
4796-829: The United States Institute of Peace , and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts representing nearly 300,000+ students. The consortium facilitates course cross registration between all member universities, and universalizes library access across some of its member universities through the Washington Research Library Consortium . It additionally offers joint procurement programs, joint academic initiatives, and campus public safety training. Formed in 1967 as an interstate compact between Maryland , Virginia, and
4905-625: The Washington Rapid Transit bus company. Financier Louis Wolfson acquired the company in 1949 but had his franchise revoked in 1955 amid a crippling strike. Congress then awarded a 20-year concession to O. Roy Chalk on the condition that he replace the city's remaining streetcars with buses by 1963. The company was thereafter known as D.C. Transit. Also in 1955, the Mass Transportation Survey began to plan highway and mass transit systems that would meet
5014-560: The Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Transit Company, which operated in Northern Virginia , and the WMA Transit Company of Prince George's County for $ 4.5 million. While AB&W and WMA Transit were in better financial condition than D.C. Transit, their owners did not wish to compete with a publicly owned bus system, and requested a takeover. In 1979, an organization known as Metro 2001, Inc., planned to write
5123-805: The Braddock Road and Crystal City stations and was expanded to Pentagon City in April 2016. Thirteen 2016 New Flyer Xcelsior XN40 CNG buses (2981–2993) operate with the blue-and-white Metroway livery. The original Metroway fleet consisted of thirteen 2014 NABI 42 BRT diesel-electric hybrid buses (8002–8014) until they were all repainted in December 2016. The Metroway service, which is operated by Metrobus' Four Mile Run bus division, features dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority, real-time information, custom designed shelters and stations, as well as near-level boarding at station platforms. A Metroway fare costs
5232-646: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Claritas Inc., and other sources. The Washington metropolitan area was ranked as the second best High-Tech Center in a statistical analysis of the top 100 Metropolitan areas in the United States by American City Business Journals in May 2009, behind the Silicon Valley and ahead of the Boston metropolitan area . Fueling the metropolitan area's ranking was the reported 241,264 tech jobs in
5341-489: The Compact Clause. The CRS report stated that there were approximately 200 interstate compacts in effect in 2019. The timing for Congressional consent is not specified by the Constitution, so consent may be given either before or after the states have agreed to a particular compact. The consent may be explicit, but it may also be inferred from circumstances. Congress may also impose conditions as part of its approval of
5450-570: The Constitution is legislative, then "Congress must exercise it in conformity with the bicameralism and presentment requirements of Article I, Section VII ", and noting that the Republican River Compact was initially vetoed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, the CRS report states that if an interstate compact requires explicit congressional approval, it must be approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law by
5559-668: The District of Columbia on October 29, 2008. After three days of negotiations in federal court, Judge Rosemary M. Collyer announced a settlement on November 14, 2008. WMATA had 14 similar lease agreements with other financial institutions when the KBC case went to trial. Waivers were requested from the banks to allow WMATA time to replace AIG with another insurer or guarantees by the federal government. In 2009, WMATA issued two new series of municipal bonds bringing its total outstanding bonds to $ 390.9 million, as of June 30, 2010. This includes $ 55 million of Build America Bonds issued in 2009 under
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#17327730750095668-616: The District of Columbia , the WMATA is a tri-jurisdictional government agency with a board composed of representatives from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the United States Federal government that operates transit services in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is a multi-jurisdictional independent airport authority, created with
5777-411: The District of Columbia, but residents successfully lobbied for a moratorium on freeway construction in what became part of a movement called the " freeway revolts ." The NCTA's November 1962 "Transportation in the National Capital Region" report proposed an 89-mile (143 km) rail system that would cost $ 793 million, less than the 1959 plan because several controversial freeways were removed. The plan
5886-792: The Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library . In 1998, Congress changed the name of the Washington National Airport to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , though the law did not allocate money to implement the name change. As a result, WMATA did not change the name of the National Airport station (which never included the full name of the airport). In response to repeated inquiries from Republican congressmen that
5995-676: The Maryland-National Capital Region by local authorities but rarely by the general public. The U.S. Census Bureau divides the Washington metropolitan statistical area into three (formerly two) metropolitan divisions: Founded in 1957, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is a regional organization of 21 Washington-area local governments, as well as area members of the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures,
6104-492: The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) on June 4, 1976. MTPD police officers have jurisdiction and arrest powers for crimes that occur throughout the 1,500-square-mile (3,900 km) Transit Zone that includes Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Office of Inspector General was originally authorized by Board Resolution 2006–18, approved by the WMATA Board on April 20, 2006. With
6213-410: The Metro's daily operations while state and local governments fund the remaining 42.4%. Since the Metro's inception, the federal government has provided grants for 65% of the system's capital costs. Metrorail is unusual among major public transportation systems in having no dedicated source of funding. Instead, each year WMATA must ask each local jurisdiction to contribute funding, which is determined by
6322-539: The Metrorail system opened March 27, 1976, connecting Farragut North to Rhode Island Avenue on the Red Line. The 103 miles (166 km) of the original 83-station system was completed on January 13, 2001, with the opening of Green Line's segment from Anacostia to Branch Avenue. WMATA's bus system is a successor to four privately owned bus companies. While WMATA's original compact provided only for rail service, by 1970
6431-531: The President in order to become law. In Cuyler v. Adams , the Court held that congressional approval of interstate compacts makes them federal laws . The CRS report cites the Court's opinions in Virginia v. Tennessee and Northeast Bancorp v. Federal Reserve Board of Governors (1985) as stating that any agreement between two or more states that "cover[s] all stipulations affecting the conduct or claims of
6540-590: The States, which may encroach upon or interfere with the just supremacy of the United States"—meaning where the vertical balance of power between the federal government and state governments is altered in favor of state governments, while the report references U.S. Steel Corp. v. Multistate Tax Commission as stating that the "pertinent inquiry [with respect to the Compact Clause] is one of potential, rather than actual, impact on federal supremacy" in noting that
6649-423: The U.S. House of Representatives sought to defund all "earmarks" including the $ 150 million annual installment toward the $ 1.5 billion in federal matching funds. On February 16, 2011, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) offered an amendment to reallocate $ 150 million from farm subsidy payments to meet this obligation, but the amendment was ruled out of order. The suspension of the federal appropriation also calls into question
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#17327730750096758-481: The United States with a fleet of more than 600 vehicles and more than 1,000 employees. WMATA staff determines eligibility to use the service in response to written applications. The cost per passenger for MetroAccess is significantly higher than its fixed-route counterparts, and Metro has worked to provide as many opportunities to encourage and facilitate the use of fixed-route transit by its customers with disabilities. WMATA includes art works at stations and sometimes on
6867-432: The Washington metropolitan area. The metropolitan area includes the following principal cities (not all of which are incorporated as cities; one, Arlington, actually is a county, while Bethesda and Reston are unincorporated census-designated places). The Washington metropolitan area is considered a Democratic stronghold. The last Republican to win it was Richard Nixon in his 1972 landslide reelection. Since Bill Clinton
6976-422: The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (MSA) was $ 561,027,941,000. Changes in house prices for the Washington metropolitan area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index ; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market. McLean ZIP code 22102 had
7085-469: The above formula. For example, the District of Columbia subsidized the fares charged at Metrorail stations located in economically challenged neighborhoods. The cost of Metrobus is allocated under a formula that considers the excess of expenses over revenues from specific bus routes. The cost of MetroAccess is allocated under a different formula, which divides MetroAccess costs by the number of trips requested by riders who reside in each jurisdiction. In 2004
7194-430: The amendments enacted on August 19, 2009, the Office of Inspector General became part of the WMATA Compact. This change was one of the requirements for the $ 1.5 billion federal grant offered by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 . Helen Lew became the Metro's first Inspector General on May 14, 2007, establishing the WMATA Office of Inspector General. Her appointment by the board of directors replaced
7303-552: The consent of the United States Congress and the legislature of Virginia to oversee management, operations, and capital development of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport . Founded in 1889, the Greater Washington Board of Trade is a network of regional businesses that work to advance the culture, economy, and resiliency of the Washington metropolitan area. The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington (CAGW) works to increase appreciation, support, and resources for arts and culture in
7412-463: The deadliest crash in the Metrorail system's history . On April 3, 2010, the board of directors appointed Richard Sarles, former executive director of New Jersey Transit , as interim general manager. Sarles, 65, was offered the position of permanent general manager but declined the appointment at that time. However, on January 27, 2011, the Board announced that Sarles accepted the position as WMATA's permanent general manager. With Sarles' retirement,
7521-488: The distance traveled and the time of day. Riders enter and exit the system using a proximity card known as SmarTrip . SmarTrip cards can also be used on a smartphone through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Magnetic stripe tickets stopped being accepted on March 6, 2016. Metrorail's frequency of service and fares vary depending on the available funding, the particular transit line, and the distance traveled. Metro offers parking for commuters at 44 Metrorail stations. Most lots are on
7630-417: The federal city of Washington, D.C., the county (and census-designated place ) of Arlington , and the independent city of Alexandria . The Office of Management and Budget also includes the metropolitan statistical area as part of the larger Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area , which has a population of 9,546,579 as of the 2014 Census Estimate. The Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia portions of
7739-435: The federal funds were reconfirmed, and WMATA was able to proceed with a contract to purchase 428 new Metrorail cars. McDonnell pressed for a Board seat again in 2011, and used his amendatory veto authority to amend the 2010-11 budget to require the NVTC to appoint someone of the Governor's choosing to fill one of the NVTC seats on the WMATA Board. In the course of considering a continuing resolution for federal fiscal year 2011,
7848-641: The following standing committees: Executive, Finance and Capital, Capital & Strategic Planning, and Safety and Operation. The position of board chairman rotates between the three jurisdictions. Article III Section 5 of the Compact specifies the method of appointment. The Compact prohibits WMATA from paying board members. However, Maryland pays its voting board members $ 20,000 per year and Virginia pays $ 50 per meeting. The District of Columbia does not compensate its board members. On February 17, 2011, outgoing 2010–11 WMATA Board Chairman Peter Benjamin announced he
7957-607: The former Auditor General's Office. On April 17, 2017, Geoffrey Cherrington replaced Lew, who retired, as Inspector General, Unlike the Auditor General, the Inspector General and his office report directly to the Board and are organizationally independent of WMATA management. Since opening in 1976, the Metrorail network has grown to include six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of track. As of 2023, it
8066-623: The highest income and educational attainment among the 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation, while Asian American women in the region had the highest life expectancy, at 92.3 years. The Washington metropolitan area has the largest science and engineering work force of any metropolitan area in the nation in 2006 according to the Greater Washington Initiative at 324,530, ahead of the combined San Francisco Bay Area work force of 214,500, and Chicago metropolitan area at 203,090, citing data from U.S. Census Bureau,
8175-480: The highest median home prices among ZIP codes within the Washington metropolitan area as of 2013. The economy of the Washington metropolitan region is characterized by significant wealth disparities , which were heightened by the Great Recession and the 2007–09 housing crisis , which adversely affected black and Hispanic households more than other households. A 2016 Urban Institute report found that
8284-568: The highest-educated metropolitan area in the nation for four decades. As of the 2006–2008 American Community Survey , the three most educated places with 200,000 people or more in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria by bachelor's degree attainment (population 25 and over) are Arlington , Virginia (68.0%), Fairfax County , Virginia (58.8%), and Montgomery County , Maryland (56.4%). Forbes magazine stated in its 2008 "America's Best- And Worst-Educated Cities" report: "The D.C. area
8393-480: The hospitality and hotel industries. Major companies with headquarters in the region include Marriott International , The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company , Hilton Worldwide , Park Hotels and Resorts , Choice Hotels , Host Hotels and Resorts , and HMSHost . The media industry is a significant portion of metropolitan Washington's economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Washington DC region has
8502-556: The interim general manager. The agency's charter directs WMATA to create a unified regional transit system by coordinating other public and private agencies within its jurisdiction. Examples of its coordination efforts include: reducing unnecessary, duplicate services by other local transit systems, providing " SmarTrip " farecards for buses operated by other local transit agencies, and adding local bus schedules and commuter rail routes (such as Maryland's MARC and Virginia's VRE ) to WMATA's online "Trip Planner" guide. Congress established
8611-594: The late 1960s by the United States Congress as an interstate compact between Washington, D.C. , Maryland , and Virginia . The authority's board of directors consists of two voting representatives each from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the U.S. federal government. Each jurisdiction also appoints two alternate representatives. WMATA has no independent taxation authority and depends on its member jurisdictions for capital investments and operating funding. WMATA has its own police force,
8720-726: The matching funds from the individual jurisdictions for capital projects. On March 1, 2010, Republican Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell wrote to Congress urging the continuation of the federal funds. The continuing resolution for the remainder of 2011 ultimately included the federal matching funds. The 57% funding of WMATA from fares and other revenue compares with New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority which receives 53% of its funding from fares and car tolls. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority receives of 31.8% of its funding from fares. Washington metropolitan area Washington–Arlington–Alexandria MSA The Washington metropolitan area , also referred to as
8829-492: The median net worth (i.e., assets minus debt) for white households in the D.C. region was $ 284,000, while the median net worth for Hispanic–Latino households was $ 13,000, and for African American households as $ 3,500. Asian Americans had the highest median net worth in the Washington area ($ 220,000 for Chinese American households, $ 430,000 for Vietnamese American households, $ 496,000 for Korean American households, and $ 573,000 for Indian American households). Although
8938-521: The median net worth for white D.C.-area households was 81 times that of black D.C.-area households, the two groups had comparable rates of business ownership (about 9%). The Urban Institute report suggests that this "may be driven by the presence of a large federal government and a local district government whose membership and constituents have been largely Black, coupled with government policies designed to increase contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses." The Washington metropolitan area has
9047-666: The metropolitan Washington area. Chartered in 1964, the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area is a regional organization of 20 colleges and universities in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the Smithsonian Institution , the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
9156-410: The metropolitan area are sometimes referred to as the National Capital Region, particularly by federal agencies such as the military, Department of Homeland Security , and some local government agencies. The National Capital Region portion of the Washington metropolitan area is also colloquially known by the abbreviation "DMV", which stands for the "District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia." The region
9265-533: The nation. The median household income of the region is US$ 72,800. The two highest median household income counties in the nation – Loudoun and Fairfax County , Virginia – are components of the MSA (and No. 3 is Howard County , officially in Baltimore 's sphere but strongly connected with Washington's); measured in this way, Alexandria ranks 10th among municipalities in the region – 11th if Howard
9374-517: The need for reliable bus services to connect passengers to rail stations led to calls for authority to overhaul the entire bus system as well. The compact was amended in 1971, allowing the authority to operate buses and take over bus companies. After months of negotiation with Chalk failed to produce an agreed price, on January 14, 1973, WMATA condemned D.C. Transit and its sister company, the Washington, Virginia and Maryland Coach Company and acquired their assets for $ 38.2 million. On February 4, it acquired
9483-539: The needs of the Washington area in 1980. In 1959, the study's final report called for the construction of two rapid transit subway lines in downtown Washington. Congress responded to the report by enacting the National Capital Transportation Act of 1960, which created the federal National Capital Transportation Agency (NCTA) to coordinate transportation planning for the area. The report also called for extensive freeway construction within
9592-450: The new act, the NCTA recommended the formation of a private entity or a multi-state authority to operate the system using more non-federal funds. On September 8, 1965, President Johnson signed the National Capital Transportation Act of 1965 approving the construction of a 25-mile (40 km) rapid transit system. The NCTA negotiated with Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia to form
9701-445: The operations of the authority or to issue instructions to the general manager or employees; only the entire board as a body has the power to instruct the general manager. It states, "The authority of the Board of Directors is vested in the collective body and not in its individual Members. Accordingly, the Board, in establishing or providing any policies, orders, guidance, or instructions to the General Manager or WMATA staff, shall act as
9810-495: The parties", prohibits members from "modify[ing] or repeal[ing] [the agreement] unilaterally", and requires "'reciprocation' of mutual obligations" constitutes an interstate compact. Additionally, the CRS report cites the Court's opinion in Northeast Bancorp as suggesting that a requirement of a new interstate governmental entity is a sufficient condition for an agreement to qualify as being an interstate compact under
9919-511: The planning and initial construction of the Metrorail system, was the first general manager. Graham retired in 1976, and was replaced by Theodore C. Lutz. Richard S. Page, head of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (the name of the Federal Transit Administration until 1991), took over as general manager of WMATA in 1979. Page resigned in 1983, amid increasing financial difficulties for WMATA. and
10028-536: The post of general manager was filled by Paul Wiedefeld on November 30, 2015. On January 18, 2022, WMATA announced that Paul Wiedefeld would be retiring from Metro in 6 months and WMATA's board of directors will be conducting a national search for his replacement. On May 10, 2022, WMATA announced that current president and CEO of Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Randy Clarke as its new general manager and CEO beginning in summer 2022. On May 16, 2022, Wiedefeld announced he will retire early with Andy Off being
10137-779: The potential erosion of an enumerated power of the United States Congress by an interstate compact can arguably require explicit congressional approval. The CRS report cites the Supreme Court's rulings in Florida v. Georgia (1855) and in Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado (2018) as recognizing that explicit congressional consent is also required for interstate compacts that alter the horizontal balance of power amongst state governments. Citing Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority v. Citizens for Abatement of Aircraft Noise, Inc. (1991) as stating that if an enumerated power under
10246-488: The region to be close to the Pentagon in Arlington. Local defense contractors include Lockheed Martin , the largest, as well as General Dynamics , BAE Systems Inc. , Northrop Grumman , Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) , Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) , CACI , ManTech International , DynCorp , and Leidos . The Washington metropolitan area contains the headquarters of numerous companies in
10355-609: The region, a total eclipsed only by New York , Los Angeles , and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the highest master's or doctoral degree attainment among the 100 ranked metropolitan areas. A Dice.com report showed that the Washington–Baltimore area had the second-highest number of tech jobs listed: 8,289, after the New York metro area with 9,195 jobs. In 2020, the total gross domestic product for
10464-407: The same as Metrobus. MetroAccess is a paratransit service that WMATA provides through private contractors. It began operation in May 1994 and since that time annual ridership has grown from 200,000 to more than 2.4 million passengers. MetroAccess operates 365 days a year, providing door-to-door, shared rides reserved from one to seven days in advance. It is now the sixth-largest paratransit service in
10573-487: The second largest concentration of journalists and media personnel in the United States after the New York metropolitan area . Washington's industry presence includes major publications with national audiences such as The Washington Post , U.S. News & World Report , and USA Today , as well as new media publishers such as Vox Media , RealClearPolitics , Axios , and Politico . A secondary portion of this market
10682-561: The second-largest metropolitan area in the Census Bureau's South Atlantic division, following Metro Atlanta . The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the area as the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metropolitan statistical area, a metropolitan statistical area used for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau and other agencies. The region's three largest cities are
10791-411: The station be renamed, WMATA stated that stations are renamed only at the request of the local jurisdiction. Since both Arlington County and the District of Columbia were controlled by Democrats, the name change was blocked. Finally, in 2001, Congress made changing the station's name a condition of further federal funding. In response to a demand for immediate repayment of a $ 43 million debt, WMATA sought
10900-507: The trains. Thirty-nine stations include artwork. Funding for the art comes from several sources, including the town in which the station is located, the WMATA art program, the Federal Transit Administration, local art groups, and some pieces are gifts or on loan. WMATA has solicited feedback from riders concerning art in the stations and to guide choices on future installations. Fares and other revenue fund 57.6% of
11009-480: The widespread availability of health care and facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and parks, low rates of obesity and tobacco use relative to the national average, and the high median household income as contributors to the city's community health. In the 21st century, the Washington metropolitan area has overtaken the San Francisco Bay Area as the highest-income metropolitan area in
11118-461: Was also "widely credited with saving the Metrobus system from collapse and with keeping Metro running during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." Despite these efforts, however, the board of directors dismissed White on January 11, 2006. Dan Tangherlini replaced White as interim general manager, effective February 16, 2006. Tangherlini was considered a leading candidate for Metro's top job on
11227-416: Was contingent upon the establishment of dedicated revenue sources for the Metro by the Compact jurisdictions. An amendment to the Metro's Compact on August 19, 2009, added the requirement for payments "from dedicated funding sources" by the Compact's participating jurisdictions. In June 2010, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell threatened to withhold Virginia's WMATA funding unless the composition of WMATA's board
11336-407: Was elected in 1992, Democratic candidates have easily won the area by double-digits. The area has been a magnet for international immigration since the late 1960s. It is also a magnet for internal migration (persons moving from one region of the U.S. to another). Racial composition of the Washington metropolitan area. Source: Census Reporter The Washington metropolitan area has ranked as
11445-480: Was founded on February 20, 1967. As a government agency, the compact grants WMATA sovereign immunity by all three jurisdictions in which it operates, and except for certain limited exceptions, the authority cannot be successfully sued unless it waives immunity. Under the provisions of the compact, the authority is legally incorporated in the District of Columbia, where WMATA maintains its headquarters. WMATA broke ground for its train system in 1969. The first portion of
11554-521: Was leaving the board and would be replaced by former Congressman Michael D. Barnes . The new Governance Committee of the WMATA board, which at the time was chaired by Mary Hynes, held its first meeting and established a work plan to develop a new relationship between the board and WMATA management. The committee will draft new bylaws that will better define the role and term of the WMATA Board Chairman. The Governance Committee will also draft
11663-587: Was replaced by Carmen E. Turner , who served for seven years. Former New York City Transit Authority chief, David L. Gunn , took over as head of WMATA in 1991, followed by Lawrence G. Reuter in 1994, and Richard A. White in 1996. White led efforts to improve accountability and dialogue with passengers during 2005. This included independent audits, town hall meetings, online chats with White and other management officials, and improved signage in stations. White had three more years in his contract to work for Metro, but had come under fire for mismanagement; however, he
11772-460: Was replaced on April 3, 2010, by interim general manager Richard Sarles. Sarles became one of three finalists interviewing for the permanent position, and later became the permanent general manager on January 27, 2011. Jack Requa became the interim general manager upon Sarles' retirement January 16, 2015. WMATA was originally set up with a board of directors , of twelve members. Of those, six were voting members, and six were alternates. In response to
11881-466: Was supported by President Kennedy, but opposed by highway advocates in Congress who reduced the rail system to only 23 miles (37 km) within the District of Columbia. However, that proposal was defeated in Congress shortly after President Kennedy's death. The Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 passed Congress, which promised 66% federal funding for urban mass transportation projects. Encouraged by
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