CASE STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF TRANSIT REGULATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The enactment of the statute and agency, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation compact and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission (WMATC) are described, and the WMATC's regulatory performance is reviewed. It is noted that Washington's transit regulatory scheme excludes essential transportation elements from the scheme, has inappropriate protection for existing operators, and provides only limited enforcement capability to the responsible regulatory agency. The regulatory agency for the implementation of the scheme was limited in its outlook and the capabilities of its staff. Its activities were further narrowed by events to a concentration on rate matters to the exclusion of the pursuit of service improvements. Without the cooperation of the regulated companies, it is powerless to effect service improvements. Those segments of the for-hire transportation operations that come under the most active (though still limited) regulation, i.e. regular-route bus operators, collapsed within a decade. Those that did not, i.e., taxicabs, charter bus operators, and sightseeing companies, survived as private operators.