PlanItMetro

What happens if Metro completes MetroForward and ceases there? Simply put, the region cannot afford for Metro to get the system back to where it should have been, but stop short of preparing the system for the growth that has already created overcrowding conditions and service disruptions, let alone prepare for additional growth that has yet to come.

Note that the region is already the most congested area in the country, and Metro is a huge part of what keeps this region moving and working in spite of its transportation gridlock. Stopping short of implementing Metro 2025 and Momentum means that the region’s attractiveness as a place to live and work may be threatened. The region could face the following consequences:

• Metro will degrade quickly with more delays and service disruptions – visible progress will be lost;
• Shoulder-to-shoulder, rush hour conditions experienced today on an increasing number of rail lines and stations will grow system-wide and become worse;
• Crowding similar to Presidential Inauguration Days will likely become the norm;
• Customers will be left with 1970s-era communication and trip planning services;
• Residents would have fewer jobs within an acceptable commuting distance and employers would have access to a much smaller pool of employees; and
• The regional transit system will advance towards antiquity, harming the region’s competitive advantage for talent, jobs and investment dollars.

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