An ill-advised attempt to shave $3-5 million in spending from WMATA’s budget might actually cost the agency $300 million in revenue.

In response to WMATA’s proposal to end late night trail service, the District of Columbia is considering withholding $50 million in maintenance funding, which would actually put a total of $300 million in danger because doing so might trip up $250 million in funds coming from MD, VA, and the federal government

While I don’t think actually withholding the money would be a good idea, I do think the threat to do so sends an important message to WMATA leadership: For the District of Columbia, Metro is not a commuter railroad. It’s the lifeblood of the city, and we cannot do without it. If Metro won’t run a service that actually responds to the needs of the District, the District will have no reason to continue funding Metro.

This all comes down to new WMATA General Manager Richard Sarles. Sarles spent years at New Jersey Transit, which means he has tremendous experience managing an aging network of commuter rail lines in need of serious maintenance. Obviously those are skills that Metro needs right now, in the wake of 2009’s safety problems. On the other hand, it also means that Sarles may not fully understand Metro’s mission, and may be prone to thinking in “railroad-head” terms with a focus on moving trains rather than people. If Sarles is going to be an effective manager at Metro for any length of time, he will need to expand his frame of mind to accept Metro’s more comprehensive mission. We need the expertise he has in maintenance, but that isn’t enough on its own.