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Today, Metro planners will brief Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) board members on a prioritized list of capital improvements deemed necessary during the next 10 years. Complying with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations is at the top of the list.

A year ago, Metro planners identified $11 billion worth of capital needs that would have to be completed between 2011 and 2020 to maintain, expand and improve rail, bus and paratransit service. In addition to implementing NTSB recommendations, the current list includes the replacement of buses and rail cars — such as all 290 of 1000-series cars that have been in service since 1976 — rehabilitation of rail sections more than 30 years old and upgrades to information technology systems.

Some projects might need to be deferred beyond 2020 if WMATA doesn’t obtain the necessary $11 billion, such as improvements to the agency’s six most heavily used core stations.

In the coming months, WMATA plans to publish its 2011-2020 capital needs inventory, develop a draft multi-year capital improvement program, craft the fiscal-year 2011 capital budget, and work with the board and regional partners to finalize the next funding agreement, which will take effect July 1, 2010.