The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is threatening to close the College Park station for at least a year beginning January 2022 if it can’t secure more funding to offset losses from low ridership during the coronavirus pandemic.
In its proposed 2022 budget, the transit agency said it would have to close 22 Metro stations with low ridership near other stations including College Park, Archives and Mount Vernon Square on the Green Line.
The budget also threatens to eliminate bus route 86, which runs down the Route 1 corridor, with stops in Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Hyattsville, Riverdale Park, University Park, College Park and Beltsville.
In addition, it would also end bus route 83 at the Greenbelt Metro station, instead of continuing north to Beltsville.
There’s a decent chance these cuts won’t happen. WMATA was able to avoid threatened cuts this year thanks to federal funding in the last coronavirus stimulus bill, and the $1.9 trillion stimulus under consideration in Congress includes another $20 billion for “the hardest hit public transit agencies” that would presumably help stave off further cuts.
If you want to weigh in, you can take a survey and submit written comments here or call 844-468-5748. You can also speak at a virtual hearing on Tuesday, March 9, at 6 p.m.
