Senate Panel Okays Funding for D.C. Transit

WAMU - Washington – The agency that runs D.C.'s subways is looking forward to federal money to replace outdated equipment and catch up on years of deferred maintenance. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority would receive another installment of federal funds to rebuild its aging rail system under an appropriations bills approved by a Senate panel on Thursday.

The Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), approved $150 million for WMATA, the fifth installment in a 10-year, $1.5 billion dollar package to replace out-of-date equipment.

Mikulski said the recent anniversary of the 2009 Red Line crash in Fort Totten served as a reminder of the importance of fixing Metro.

"We want trains that are crash proof. We needed a tracking system that would function automatically to warn people so there wouldn't be those crashes,” she said. .............................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/transportation-nation/2013/jun/28/senate-panel-okays-funding-wmata/