[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S10650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NATIONAL CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION AMENDMENTS ACT

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, this legislation, the National Capital 
Transportation Amendments Act of 2006, authorizes a total of 
$1,500,000,000 in matching Federal funds over the next 10 years to help 
sustain the Federal Government's longstanding commitment to the 
Washington Metropolitan area's Metrorail system.
  In March, 2006, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 
celebrated the 30th anniversary of passenger service on the Metrorail 
system. Since service first began in 1976, Metrorail has grown from a 
4.6-mile, five-station, 22,000-passenger system into the Nation's 
second busiest rapid transit operation. Today the Metrorail system 
consists of 106.3 miles, 86 stations and carries more than 100 million 
passengers a year. The Metrorail system provides a unified and 
coordinated transportation system for the region, enhances mobility for 
the millions of residents, visitors, and the Federal workforce in the 
region, promotes orderly growth and development of the region, enhances 
our environment, and preserves the beauty and dignity of our Nation's 
Capital. It is also an example of an unparalleled partnership that 
spans every level of government from city to State to Federal.
  As the largest employer in this region, the Federal Government has 
had a longstanding and unique responsibility to support the Metro 
system. This special responsibility was recognized more than 40 years 
ago in the National Capital Transportation Act of 1960, when Congress 
found that ``an improved transportation system for the National Capital 
region is essential for the continued and effective performance of the 
functions of the Government of the United States.'' Today more than a 
third of Federal employees in this region rely on Metrorail to get to 
work, and at rush hour, more than 40 percent of Metro's riders are 
Federal employees. The service that WMATA provides is also a critical 
component of Federal emergency evacuation plans for the region. The 
Federal Government's interest in Metro is ``unique and enduring.''
  It took extraordinary perseverance and effort to build the 106-mile 
Metrorail system. From its origins in legislation first approved by the 
Congress during the Eisenhower administration, three major statutes--
the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969, the National Capital 
Transportation amendments of 1979, and the National Capital 
Transportation amendments of 1990--were enacted to provide Federal and 
matching local funds for construction of the system. In addition, in 
ISTEA, TEA-21 and most recently in SAFETEA-LU, we made the Metrorail 
eligible for millions of dollars in Federal funds annually to maintain 
and modernize the system, and provided an additional $104 million for 
WMATA's procurement of 52 rail cars and construction of upgrades to 
traction power equipment on 20 stations to allow the transit agency to 
expand many of its trains from six to eight-cars.
  But the system is aging and has been experiencing increasing 
incidents of equipment breakdowns, delays in scheduled service, and 
unprecedented crowding on trains. In 2004, WMATA released a ``Metro 
Matters'' report which found a $1.5 billion shortfall in funding over 6 
years to meet WMATA's capital and operating needs. A blue-ribbon panel, 
sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the 
Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Federal City Council, 
published a report a year later which concluded that WMATA faces an 
average annual operating and capital shortfall of approximately $300 
million between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2015.
  This legislation seeks to provide additional Federal funds to help 
close this gap. To be eligible for any Federals funds that may be 
appropriated annually under this legislation, the District of Columbia, 
the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia must first 
enact the required Compact amendments and either establish or use an 
existing dedicated funding source, such as Maryland's transportation 
trust fund, to provide the local matching funds. The legislation is 
still subject to the annual appropriations process, and it is my hope 
that Federal funding authorized under this act will be forthcoming in 
future years. I urge adoption of the legislation.

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