WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced a major step forward in putting funds in the federal checkbook for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) rail transit system.

The Appropriations Committee this afternoon approved $150 million in fiscal year 2010 funds for Washington’s Metro system. The funds, sought by U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), will be used to make urgent safety upgrades.

“Safety is our top priority,” Senator Mikulski said. “First, the funds must be used for any urgent safety needs the National Transportation Safety Board identifies during its investigation of the crash. Safety problems have to be fixed first.”

The bill requires that WMATA place the highest priority on investments that will improve safety, including, but not limited to, fixing the track signal system, replacing the its oldest railcars, installing guarded turnouts, buying equipment for wayside worker protection, and installing rollback protection on cars that are not equipped with this safety feature.

This is the first year of dedicated federal funding for Metro. Last year, Congress adopted legislation authorizing $1.5 billion in federal funds over 10 years to help put WMATA on firm financial footing and provide Metro’s first dedicated, federal funding source. These funds will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.