November 29, 2022

The Hon. Paul Smedberg

Chair
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
300 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024

Dear Chair Smedberg:

We write today as members of the Montgomery County Delegation to the Maryland General
Assembly regarding the Metrorail Service Optimization proposals shared with the WMATA
Finance and Capital Committee on October 27, 2022. We were dismayed to see among the
proposals the reimposition of the previously discarded Red Line Turnbacks at the Grosvenor and
Silver Spring stations. Use of the Turnbacks amounts to a disproportionate service cut to
Montgomery County and we strongly oppose the proposal.

As you are aware, the Red Line Turnbacks have a long history. In December of 2018, however,
the Grosvenor Turnback was finally eliminated through action by the WMATA Board. In a
summary submitted to the Safety and Operations in July of 2019, WMATA staff reported no
negative impacts on service performance; increased ridership; and increased parking utilization.
The Board then voted to maintain the service (i.e., make the elimination of the Grosvenor
Turnback permanent). At the same time, the Board voted to eliminate the Silver Spring
Turnback. The Board had it right in 2018 and 2019 and it would be a mistake for the Board to
disproportionately cut service in Montgomery County by reimposing the Turnbacks today.

Imposition of the Turnbacks means a reduction in service. That is counter to everything you, the
Board, and WMATA have been working on to try and improve rail service and bring back
ridership. It is also counter to Montgomery County’s goals, particularly as the county has sought
to concentrate growth around WMATA stations—including those further out of the core than the
Turnbacks. Moreover, the reduction in service is disproportionate to Montgomery County,
increasing headways at most Montgomery County WMATA stations to eight minutes and ten
minutes during peak and non-peak hours, respectively.

We appreciate WMATA’s difficult budget circumstances, and have been lockstep as a

Delegation in voting in favor of and advocating for additional resources for WMATA. But the
proposed budget impact of eliminating the Turnbacks of $500,000 ($300,000 in cost savings plus
$200,000 in projected increased revenue), hardly seems worth the negative impact of the cut to
Montgomery County.

As a WMATA Chair who represents a suburban jurisdiction on the Board, we know you
appreciate that the suburban jurisdictions value Metrorail service. Just as Virginia would not
want to see disproportionate service cuts to the Orange, Blue, Yellow, or Silver Lines, we must
strenuously object to cuts in service that disproportionately impact the Red line.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr Senator Benjamin F. Kramer

Delegate Kumar P. Barve Senator William C. Smith, Jr.
Delegate Gabriel Acevero Senator Brian J. Feldman
Delegate Alfred C. Carr, Jr. Senator Cheryl C. Kagan
Delegate Lorig Charkoudian Senator Nancy J. King
Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield Senator Susan C. Lee
Delegate Bonnie Cullison Senator Jeff Waldstreicher
Delegate Linda Foley Senator Craig J. Zucker
Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo
Delegate Jim Gilchrist
Delegate Anne R. Kaiser
Delegate Ariana B. Kelly
Delegate Marc Korman
Delegate Lesley J. Lopez
Delegate Sara Love
Delegate David Moon
Delegate Lily Qi
Delegate Pam Queen
Delegate Kirill Reznik
Delegate Emily Shetty
Delegate Jared Solomon
Delegate Vaughn Stewart
Delegate Jheanelle K. Wilkins