COG outlines 'DMV Moves' funding plan, asks College Park to endorse regional transit funding
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Summary
COG and Metro officials briefed the College Park City Council on 'DMV Moves,' a regional plan that calls for $460 million per year in new, dedicated funding to modernize Metro, expand bus priority corridors and coordinate regional transit. COG asked jurisdictions, including College Park, to endorse the plan and share legislative materials.
Tom Harrington, multimodal planning program director at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, told the College Park Mayor and Council on Jan. 13 that DMV Moves is a regional, multi‑agency effort to stabilize and modernize transit across the Washington-Baltimore region.
"DMV Moves offers a path forward for the region's transit system," Harrington said, asking local governments to help secure the dedicated funding the plan calls for. He told councilors that the Metro component of the plan would provide $460,000,000 per year in new funding, growing at roughly 3 percent annually, to allow Metro to bond for long‑term capital and modernization projects.
Harrington summarized the initiative as four components: dedicated Metro funding for reinvestment and modernization (including signal system improvements), support for local transit operators, investments for commuter rail needs, and an action plan for regional integration that emphasizes bus priority and a seamless rider experience. He told councilors that the plan identifies seven initial bus‑priority corridors and that TPB (the region's MPO) will be asked to coordinate implementation.
On the funding risks that DMV Moves aims to address, Harrington warned that Metro faces a structural capital shortfall and said the region risks an $800 million “funding cliff” in Metro’s capital program by 2028 unless long‑term funding is secured.
Council member Mitchell asked how College Park should participate during the upcoming state legislative sessions and whether the city should pass a resolution or send a letter of support. Harrington said draft legislation already exists in Virginia and Maryland and offered to share draft legislative language and supporting materials; he said an endorsement resolution or letter from the city would be appreciated.
Several council members pressed about local impacts and priorities, including why the Route 1/Baltimore Avenue corridor through Prince George’s County was not among the seven initial bus‑priority corridors. Harrington said the first phase screened many corridors by criteria such as existing frequency and ridership, and that later phases and local engagement would refine priorities.
What’s next: Harrington said TPB will be asked to endorse the plan this month and that COG/Metro staff will continue to circulate draft legislation and outreach materials for jurisdictions that want to send letters or pass endorsement resolutions. The council did not take a formal vote on DMV Moves at the Jan. 13 work session.
