INTERVIEW – JACK EVANS – DC COUNCILMEMBER AND DC METRO BOARD CHAIRMAN

Jack Evans Represents Ward 2 of Washington, D.C. since 1991, Evans is the D.C. Council’s longest serving lawmaker and serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

TOPICS:

• Metro: Red Line single tracking in 2 places; evening rush impacted
• Metro Won’t Stay Open Late for Nationals Playoff Game. The Washington Nationals’ playoff game Thursday night likely will not end by the time Metro is scheduled to end service at midnight — and there’s no plan for trains to keep running later. Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld told News4 Wednesday morning that he knows it’s difficult, but he will not keep Metro open late Thursday night. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. “It’s a tough one, but think of the tens of thousands of people that have been impacted over the last few months,” he said.
• Metro hints at fare increases to close budget gap. As Metro officials weigh options to close a looming budget gap, it’s looking increasingly likely that they will move to raise fares. In documents released Tuesday to prep the board for upcoming budget negotiations, Metro staff say bus fares could be raised from $1.75 to $2 without a significant impact on ridership. The presentation on potential budget scenarios also suggests that Metro is considering a slight increase to rail prices — a 7-cent-per-mile increase for shorter trips, and a 10-cent-per-mile increase for trips 6 miles and over. In that scenario, the maximum fare that riders would pay during peak periods would go from $5.90 to $6.
• DC Council OKs resolution urging return to Metro late-night service. WASHINGTON — In a unanimous decision, the D.C. Council approved an emergency resolution urging Metro’s board to restore late-night hours. Council member Jack Evans, who is also the chairman of the Metro board, introduced the resolution after months of backlash against the proposal by Metro’s Paul Wiedefeld to permanently cut late-night service in order to give Metro crews more time to do regular maintenance work. Evans said the resolution is only a sense of the Council and is not binding. But the measure sends a signal “that the District of Columbia wants the late night hours,” he said.