Subject
title
Briefing and Endorsement of the DMVMoves Plan
end
Department
City Manager's Office (CMO)
Recommendation
Following the DMVMoves Plan <https://dmvmoves.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DMVMoves_Plan_web.pdf> briefing, staff recommends that the Mayor and Council endorse the Plan.
Discussion
In May 2024, DMVMoves <https://dmvmoves.org/>, a joint Task Force of the boards of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), was created to develop a unified vision and sustainable funding model for public transit in the National Capital Region (NCR).Two advisory groups representing government and community partners, along with several working subgroups, worked over several months to develop short, mid, and long-term recommendations to grow and maintain rail and bus transit services.
The task force developed a plan and, on October 29, 2025, approved the final plan. On November 17, 2025, through a Resolution (attachment 1), the Boards of both MWCOG and MWATA endorsed the DMVMoves Plan (attachment 1). The DMVMoves Plan outlines the need for a long-term, regionally coordinated approach to sustaining and modernizing transit across the NCR.
Among other things, the Plan recommends establishing a dedicated annual capital commitment of $460 million for WMATA beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2028, growing at least three percent annually to provide sustainable, bondable, and flexible funding. The estimated jurisdictional shares are $173 million for the District of Columbia, $152 million for Maryland, and $136 million for Virginia. This funding would reign in Metro's capital backlog, modernize Metrorail's signaling system, move toward rail automation, and stabilize WMATA's bond program. The Plan also calls for parallel investment in local and commuter systems, promoting coordinated service standards, integrated fare policies, shared procurements, and workforce development to enhance efficiency and regional equity. The DMVMoves Plan is more than a funding strategy-it is a regional call to action. An excerpt of the key actions from the Plan is below.
Tom Harrington, COG Multimodal Planning Program Director, will be at the meeting to provide a briefing on the DMVMoves Plan to the Mayor and Council. Attached is the presentation (attachment 2). Following the briefing staff recommends that the Mayor and Council endorse the DMVMoves Plan.
Impact Statements
Equity
Equity is a central focus of the DMVMoves, as it aims to create a transit system that enhances social equity across the National Capital Region. The initiative emphasizes providing equitable access to transit services, ensuring that all residents, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have access to jobs, healthcare, education, and other opportunities. In addition, the plan calls for standardizing low-income fare discount programs and free local bus rides for youth aged 18 and under across all transit agencies in the region, thus ensuring equitable access to transportation for young people.
Environment
The DMVMoves vision explicitly identifies social equity as a key goal, aiming to create a transit system that supports environmental sustainability and equitable access for all.
Economy
Transportation plays a critical role in driving competitiveness in the NCR. By investing in a seamless and reliable transit system, the DMVMoves initiative aims to enhance the region’s economic competitiveness, support growth, and improve the quality of life for residents and businesses. Moreover, the initiative seeks to grow ridership through Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which can enhance access to economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for residents in underserved areas.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time this item is coming before the Mayor and Council.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with the endorsement of the DMVMoves Plan.
Next Steps
Following the Mayor and Council endorsement of the Plan, staff will share the certification with MWCOG and WMATA. Staff will work to support the DMVMoves actions as needed.