METRO proposes $1.8B budget, a 42% increase on capital spending from FY 2023-24

Officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County are proposing a $1.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2024-25 which begins on Oct. 1. That's a 15% jump or $255 million more, from last year's approved budget of $1.6 billion.

Increased spending for the upcoming fiscal year is coming from capital project expenses that support core business activities, a 42% increase compared to last year's budget. According to METRO's five-year capital program plan, core business expenses include:

• Vehicle maintenance costs
• Vehicle acquisition costs
• Operational facility maintenance costs
• Information technology projects

The big picture

What's different in the upcoming fiscal year, according to METRO's budget document, will be officials looking to incorporate more customer-centric goals, which include:

• Service and reliability upgrades
• Increased safety and security protocols
• More stringent cleanliness standards
• Attract and retain additional workforce support
• Enhance the reliability of transit services
• Paying attention to maintaining facilities

Julie Fernandez, METRO's lead management analyst for revenue and fare policy, said the new initiatives are priorities for the upcoming year.

"​​​​​METRO's overarching goal is growing ridership by improving the customer experience," Fernandez said.

Stay tuned

More information on the proposed FY 24-25 public budget, can be found online here. METRO's budget will be presented for board approval during a Sept. 26 meeting.