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Associated Press - March 10, 2010 9:55 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AP) - Transit advocates are pushing the region's cash-strapped local and state governments to increase funding for Metro in order to maintain service.
The Transit First coalition launched an online petition this week to pressure regional governments to provide an additional $74 million to the transit agency.
Metro has a projected budget gap of $189 million for the fiscal year that begins in July. The agency has proposed raising fares and cutting bus and rail service. The cuts would include longer waits for trains and buses, and nighttime and weekend service would be eliminated on some bus routes and rail lines.
The activists says it doesn't make sense to ask riders to pay more and then also make deep cuts in service. They say if riders are paying more, so should governments.
Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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