Strategic Consulting

Program Management Advisory

explore projects

Program Management Advisory

Metro Matters Financial Plan

Washington, DC, United States

Client: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Parsons Brinckerhoff Role: Strategic Consulting, Program Management Advisory

Metro Matters Financial Plan
Facing a $1.5 billion gap in its $3.3 billion capital program, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) hired Parsons Brinckerhoff to develop a new funding plan on a short timeline to meet critical procurement deadlines. Over 45-days, Parsons Brinckerhoff conducted numerous work sessions with WMATA and regional governments, analyzed multiple funding and organizational strategies, and crafted the Metro Matters Integrated Financial Plan. In addition to new local funding commitments, the plan included a shift from an obligation to an expenditure-based capital budget; additional federal funding; anti-deficiency risk protection provided by commercial credit facilities and master funding agreement; and prudent use of debt to meet cash flow requirements and smooth payment requirements for regional governments.

In today’s economy, balancing fiscal constraints with capital improvement needs can be a challenge. Owners and operators of infrastructure the world over are charged with developing programs that enable them to maintaining safe and efficient operations. Customers are expecting improved reliability and more amenities, and requesting more efficient services.

Parsons Brinckerhoff designs and implements performance-based programming processes to measure and report capital needs, identify and detail state-of-good-repair, capacity, enhancement, and expansion investment needs and communicate those needs in terms that are meaningful to policy-makers, customers and stakeholders. Working with clients to align investment decisions and project priorities with their goals, we draw on our industry expertise to establish methods to better link capital planning to programming and delivery, review and design of programming and prioritization procedures, integrate capital planning with O&M planning, develop multi-year program scenarios, and analyze alternative programming and procurement options.

Today, in cities such as New York, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, and Singapore, Parsons Brinckerhoff is helping transit agencies overcome the new challenges they face operating mass transportation systems that relieve congestion and move people efficiently. For the Louisiana Department of Transportation’s $2.5 billion TIMED program for highway and bridge projects, PB developed an aggressive plan that will deliver the completed projects within ten years. For Metrolinx in Toronto, Canada, Parsons Brinckerhoff developed a capital planning and programming process that was implemented to create its first 1- and 5-year Capital Program.

Parsons Brinckerhoff provides high value advisory in all areas of management, investment and development. We work with clients to determine how best to invest in, develop and deliver their capital programs.