City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 22, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
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Consideration of a Resolution Endorsing the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) Boards DMVMoves Plan.
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ISSUE: The MWCOG and WMATA Boards are calling upon elected officials, regional agencies, and stakeholders to commit to the implementation of the DMVMoves Plan. This collaborative effort is essential to ensuring a stable, integrated, and sustainable future for the transit systems that underpin the National Capital Region’s economic vitality and social prosperity.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommend that City Council endorse the attached resolution passed by the MWCOG and WMATA Boards endorsing the DMVMoves Plan conceptually but does not recommend committing funding at this time, as numerous variables could influence the City’s share of the $460 million capital contribution.
BACKGROUND: Established in May 2024 by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), DMVMoves is a collaborative initiative designed to create a unified vision and sustainable funding model for the region's transit network. Over the past 24 months, two advisory groups and several technical subgroups-comprising government and community partners-have developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to grow and maintain regional rail and bus services.
The DMVMoves Plan addresses the structural funding challenges threatening the stability of the regional transit network. To provide sustainable and bondable funding, the plan recommends a dedicated annual capital commitment of $460 million for WMATA starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2028, with a minimum annual growth rate of 3%. The estimated jurisdictional breakdown for this commitment includes $164 million from the District of Columbia, $154 million from Maryland, and $142 million from Virginia.
Beyond WMATA, the plan advocates parallel investment in local and commuter systems. It promotes regional efficiency and equity through coordinated service standards, integrated fare policies, shared procurement processes, and joint workforce development initiatives.
DISCUSSION: On November 17, 2025, the Boards of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) endorsed the DMVMoves Plan (Attachment 2). This 25-year investment framework establishes a regionally coordinated approach to modernizing transit across the National Capital Region (NCR).
The plan addresses critical funding shortfalls caused by inflation and rising costs, which have significantly eroded WMATA’s purchasing power. Projections indicate that without new, dedicated capital funding, WMATA will reach its debt capacity limit by FY 2029. This would necessitate a dramatic reduction in capital programming, compromising the long-term safety, reliability, and capacity of the network. Additionally, the plan acknowledges similar operating and maintenance pressures facing the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and local bus providers.
Beyond regional funding strategies, the resolution urges federal partners to restore the purchasing power of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) and directs WMATA to aggressively pursue federal grants and alternative financing to ensure a financially sustainable regional transit network.
FISCAL IMPACT: While there is no immediate fiscal impact associated with this resolution, the DMVMoves initiative proposes a regional capital contribution of $460 million starting in FY 2028, with a 3% annual escalation. Although Virginia's estimated share is $142 million, the specific financial obligation for the City remains undetermined at this time.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 - Joint Resolution from MWCOG and WMATA Boards
Attachment 2 - DMVMoves Plan