It was standing-room only last Thursday night as Metro riders, transit workers and elected officials packed the first town hall organized by the Coalition of Metro Labor Unions to create a “People’s Agenda for Metro.” More than a dozen speakers spoke out at the nearly 2-hour town hall, voicing their opposition to budget cuts and service cutbacks. Indian Head Mayor Brandon Pualin said the proposed bus line cuts in Metro’s 2018 budget would negatively impact them and their community. The cuts would affect the "primary ways people get to work," said rider Frederick Wilson. While WMATA Board member Malcolm Augustine assured the over-capacity crowd that the proposed cuts had been amended by the board, so that no one is left “stranded,” riders resolved to attend the January 30th WMATA hearing announced by Augustine to share their concerns with the entire board. Local elected officials, including State Delegate Jimmy Tarlau, attended and spoke on the need to lobby locally and in Annapolis for additional funding. Two more town halls are scheduled, one in Montgomery County on January 18, the other in Arlington, Virginia on January 24. Check our calendar for details. photo from ATU 689 Twitter feed
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