Overview
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, branded 'Metro') was created by an interstate compact among Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, with the consent of Congress. It runs Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess across the National Capital Region. An eight-member Board of Directors, with eight alternates, governs it. DC, Maryland and Virginia each appoint two directors, and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation appoints two more. Randy Clarke has been General Manager and CEO since July 2022.
On April 23, 2026 the board adopted a $4.8B FY2027 budget: $2.7B for operations and $2.1B for capital. It also adopted a six-year capital program of $13.5B in total uses through FY2032. Money is the central question. The $500M a year in dedicated capital funding set up in 2018 was never indexed to inflation. The regional DMVMoves plan asks DC, Maryland and Virginia for $460M a year in new capital money, rising 3% a year, but that funding had not been enacted when the budget passed. Maryland's 2026 bill stalled in its Senate.
Technology sits in the Digital Modernization department, set up in 2023 under Chief Digital Officer Judd Nicholson. It covers cybersecurity, enterprise applications, enterprise architecture, operational technology, and service delivery and operations, with 385 staff. Its current agenda includes zero-trust architecture, moving to cloud, a new Oracle ERP, network fabric modernization and enterprise video. It is also dealing with Inspector General findings on cybersecurity (2023), the data center (2025), data privacy (2026) and security cameras (2026). On the rail side, Metro brought back automatic train operation on every line in 2025, launched the $1.6B Red Line Modernization project (CBTC signalling, platform doors and railcar conversions) in 2026, and expects its first Hitachi 8000-series pilot railcars by June 2027. For a Dell seller, WMATA is a large, federally funded buyer with a live data-center and hybrid-cloud decision, a new CFO who oversees procurement, and the right to buy on GSA Schedules and COG cooperative contracts.
- The Digital Modernization department (Chief Digital Officer Judd Nicholson) owns IT, cybersecurity, operational technology and infrastructure, including data centers, network and end-user devices. It is the primary technology relationship.
- The Office of Procurement and Materials runs solicitations through the Supplier Portal (supplier.wmata.com), where vendors register, submit bids and later handle purchase orders and invoices. It reports to CFO Dave Rickard, who joined in January 2026.
- Under Board Resolution M2025-01, the board's Finance and Capital Committee must concur in new awards of $15M or more, sole-source awards of $500K or more, and large contract modifications. Time big technology deals to the committee calendar.
- The compact lets WMATA buy on GSA Schedules and on COG, state and local contracts that include a rider clause. The micro-purchase threshold is $15K and the simplified-acquisition threshold is $350K.
- Most infrastructure money is capital, with named IT projects in the CIP: IT Hardware State of Good Repair, the IT Data Center, ERP replacement and Cybersecurity Legacy Software. Federally funded buys must meet FTA rules, which limit cooperative buying.
Where Dell Can Play
- Get into the data-center decision now. The OIG data-center audit and the FY2026 Q2 capital report show Metro reworking its PowerFlex-to-Azure failover plan and rewriting the project charter. Bring Digital Modernization a costed hybrid design (Equinix primary, the unused Eisenhower site, Azure) that answers the OIG's call for a cost and technology assessment, before the new scope is set.
- Lead cyber with the OIG's findings. The 2023 cybersecurity report and the April 2026 data-privacy audit call for identity and access management, DLP, encryption, and asset visibility. The FY2027 budget commits to zero trust. Offer a cyber-resilience and data-protection package (immutable backup, recovery, secure endpoints) mapped to those open recommendations.
- Use the compact's buying routes for the refresh. The IT Hardware State of Good Repair program ($17.1M in FY2026) replaces data-center infrastructure and PCs, laptops and tablets. The compact lets Metro order from GSA Schedules and ride MWCOG contracts. Check Dell's GSA and COG positions. The capital report lists Dell Marketing's contract CQ19104 as expired in January 2025, so confirm what vehicle carries Dell purchases today.
- Position edge and OT compute for rail modernization and video. The Red Line project (CBTC, three rail yards, links to the command center) is heading into supplier procurements. Enterprise video is expanding across 6000- and 7000-series railcars and buses, and the camera audit showed bandwidth and backhaul limits. Work with CBTC and video integrators on rugged edge servers and storage for yards, wayside and the backup control center.
- Build the executive map around funding timing. Engage CDO Judd Nicholson (last shown in the role in March 2026 board materials; confirm he is still in it) and CFO Dave Rickard. Plan large awards around the Finance and Capital Committee's $15M concurrence threshold. Watch DMVMoves legislation in DC, Maryland and Virginia before the FY2028 budget, because Phase 2 and 3 rail modernization depend on it.
Budget & Fiscal
WMATA's fiscal year runs July through June. The FY2027 budget of $4.8B took effect July 1, 2026. It keeps fares flat and holds growth in the jurisdictions' operating subsidy to 1.8%, down from 3% in the December proposal. Capital work draws on federal formula grants, dedicated funding from DC, Maryland and Virginia, and debt. Technology spending sits mostly in the 'Operations and Business Support' capital category and in specific IT projects in the CIP.
- The FY2026 budget, adopted April 10, 2025, was $4.957B with no fare increase.
- Dedicated capital funding is flat. DC ($178.5M), Maryland ($167.0M) and Virginia ($154.5M across restricted and unrestricted) each contribute a fixed yearly amount through FY2032, and none of it is indexed. Northern Virginia's transit commission told the board that the $500M set up in 2018 has lost significant purchasing power.
- DMVMoves calls for $460M a year in new capital funding from the three jurisdictions, rising 3% a year. Metro's FY2027 resolution says it expects legislative approval before it adopts the FY2028 capital budget. Phase 2 and 3 of rail modernization (Orange, Blue, Silver, Yellow and Green lines) depend on that money.
- The 2026 Maryland session passed the state's FY2027 share of Metro funding, but the Metro Funding Modification Act (a $150M-a-year indexed contribution from FY2029, contingent on DC and Virginia) passed the House of Delegates and stalled in the Senate.
- FY2026 current budgets for selected IT capital projects (as of Q2): ERP replacement $74.3M, IT Hardware State of Good Repair $17.1M, Enterprise Video $15.9M, Cybersecurity Legacy Software $6.0M, IT Data Center $2.9M.
Initiatives & Priorities
Metro brought back automatic train operation on every line by June 2025, 16 years after it was suspended. The next step is the Red Line Modernization Project. It covers CBTC signalling for the whole line, three rail yards and the Greenbelt test track; conversions of 7000- and 8000-series railcars; platform doors at 20 of 27 stations; and links to the Metro Integrated Command and Communications Center. The rough cost estimate is $1.6B. The six-year CIP carries $913M, and Metro asked the FTA on May 29, 2026 to enter Capital Investment Grants project development. Procurements for technology suppliers (CBTC, platform doors and related subsystems) are next.
OT Signalling CapitalMetro moved its primary data center out of its old headquarters into a leased Equinix site in Ashburn, VA. It then kept Equinix as primary instead of the $44.8M data center it finished building at its Eisenhower building in 2023. The Inspector General found no cost or technology assessment behind that choice. The plan was for Dell PowerFlex to support failover to Microsoft Azure. By FY2026 Q2, Metro had reviewed the PowerFlex environment again, 'identified an alternative approach that better aligns with OIG recommendations,' and was rewriting the project charter. A separate IT Hardware State of Good Repair program pays for data center infrastructure, network work and PC, laptop and tablet replacement.
Data Center Cloud InfrastructureA February 2023 OIG report followed a former contractor's use of still-active admin credentials to reach Metro systems from Russia. It said Metro had not implemented at least 51 IT and cyber recommendations. It called for identity and access management, data loss prevention, encryption, and a cybersecurity assessment in every procurement. Metro's FY2027 plan commits to a zero-trust architecture and IT network modernization. Its Cyber Exposure Score improved from 355 to 219, and cyber-training compliance rose from 53% to 86%. The 7000-series railcar project is also installing Phase 2 cybersecurity hardware.
Cybersecurity Zero Trust OTContactless card and mobile-wallet payment launched on Metrorail in May 2025 and on Metrobus in November 2025, using Littlepay software and Cubic fareboxes. Next, about 450 Indra station customer terminals, running operating software on a cloud platform, will replace the legacy fare vending machines, with Cubic doing back-office integration. Fare Collection Modernization has a $44.4M FY2026 capital budget.
Payments Cloud CustomerDigital Modernization has 385 staff and runs a 'two-speed' programme. One speed ships new digital and AI products, such as a bus-maintenance command center, an AI rulebook, and video analytics for fare evasion and crowding. The other replaces core systems: Oracle Fusion ERP, Maximo asset management and network fabric. Enterprise video is being rolled out across railcars and buses, including Cisco EVS equipment for the 7000-series, and a backup operations control center is being designed at the Carmen Turner Facility.
AI ERP Video EdgeHitachi Rail USA won the 8000-series contract in 2020, with options for more cars. Its first pilot cars are due by June 2027 and 80 revenue-ready cars in 2028. The new cars add platform-monitoring cameras, more digital displays, and systems that must be integrated with Metro's communications and signalling. The FY2027 CIP also includes railcar conversions for the Red Line.
Rolling Stock Capital OTProcurement
WMATA buys under its compact and a board-approved Procurement Policy, set out in detail in the Procurement and Materials Best Practices Manual (version 10.0, May 28, 2026). It does not buy under a state procurement code. The Office of Procurement and Materials posts solicitations and manages vendors through the Supplier Portal. Many capital purchases carry federal (FTA) funding, which brings full-and-open competition and Buy America rules. For IT hardware, the compact's GSA Schedule and cooperative-purchasing authorities are the fastest routes.
| Vehicle / gate | What it means for Dell |
|---|---|
| Competitive RFP / IFB via the Supplier Portal | The default route. Vendors must register on supplier.wmata.com to bid. Best-value RFPs are common. For example, the 2026 fare-terminal award drew 12 proposals and weighted technical merit above price. |
| GSA Schedules (Compact §73(c)(4)) | Metro may order from GSA Federal Supply Schedules under GSA rules, including GSA Advantage! and e-Buy for RFQs. This fits server, storage and client refreshes. |
| MWCOG / MAPT cooperative and rider contracts | With non-federal funds, contracting officers may use Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments contracts and other governments' contracts that carry a rider clause, provided they were competitively awarded and the price is fair and reasonable. Using them for federally funded capital needs FTA Circular 4220.1 checks. |
| Simplified acquisition | Orders up to $15K can be micro-purchases. Simplified procedures apply up to the $350K threshold for both federal and operating funds. |
| Board committee concurrence | New awards of $15M or more, sole-source awards of $500K or more, and large cumulative modifications go to the Finance and Capital Committee under Resolution M2025-01. |
Spend Signals
GovSpend · as of Sep 21, 2026Open bids / RFPs
| Solicitation | Due |
|---|---|
| CIT01277023_MTPD Background Investigation System (Request for Proposals) Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Sep 30, 2026 |
| Counsel Practice Management Software (Request for Proposal) Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Emergency Management Platform Replacement Project (Request for Proposals) Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Oct 2, 2026 |
| ProWatch System Maintenance Renewal (Request for Proposals) Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Structures Eng. Insp. Survey Software (Request for Proposals) Washington Metro Area Transit Authority | Oct 30, 2026 |
- WMATA's fiscal year runs Jul–Jun. The intended spend window was PO issued 2022-07-01 through 2025-06-30 (FY2023–FY2025).
- GovSpend has three WMATA records: Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (148868, transit), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (325587, typed Federal) and WMATA Police (309430). 148868 did not come back from a name lookup; it was found through its contract and bid records. None of the three holds any PO data in the window. 148868 has 403 lines, all issued 2018–2020, and the other two have none, so vendorSpend, brandFootprint, categories and dellFootprint are omitted rather than padded.
- Contracts: GovSpend's WMATA contract records (from supplier.wmata.com) carry the award date as their only title and cluster on end dates of 2026-10-14 to 2026-10-18, which look like ingestion placeholders rather than real terms. Their scope and runway can't be verified, so expiringContracts is omitted. IT-vendor records do exist (Sirius Computer Solutions, $4.75M awarded 2022-03-07; plus Carahsoft, Iron Bow, Networking For Future and Software Information Resource Corp) and are worth checking directly in WMATA's supplier portal.
- Bids: 5 IT-relevant solicitations due on or after 2026-09-21, pooled from 148868 and 325587, which post the same solicitations twice. Each is listed once, using the latest due date where an amendment moved it (Structures Eng. Insp. Survey Software moved from 2026-09-30 to 2026-10-30).
Power Structure
| Decision-maker | Why they matter |
|---|---|
| Randy Clarke General Manager and CEO | Has led Metro since July 2022. He is the public face of ATO's return, Tap. Ride. Go. and the push for DMVMoves dedicated funding. |
| Judd Nicholson EVP and Chief Digital Officer | Joined in May 2023. He runs Digital Modernization (cyber, enterprise apps and architecture, OT, and service delivery and operations) and briefed the board on the Digital and AI Ecosystem strategy in July 2025. The latest public record of him in the role is the March 26, 2026 Digital & AI Ecosystem Acceleration Update to the Safety and Operations Committee, which names him as executive team owner. He was not listed on the English version of Metro's leadership page when checked in September 2026, so confirm he is still in the role before engaging. |
| Dave Rickard EVP and Chief Financial Officer | Joined in January 2026. He oversees accounting, budget, treasury, procurement, and real estate and parking, and he owns the budget and procurement-concurrence items that go to the Finance and Capital Committee. |
| Andy Off Deputy General Manager | Executive owner of the Rail Modernization Program. Jill Cesari, SVP and Rail Modernization Program Executive since April 2026, reports to him. |
| Office of Cybersecurity (Digital Modernization) Enterprise and OT cybersecurity | Runs cyber operations and threat management. A 2026 OIG audit found that enterprise data privacy sits with a senior manager below executive level and that DLP and encryption tooling is not fully deployed. Confirm the current named CISO before engaging. |
| Joe McAndrew Chair, Board of Directors | Maryland director, elected chair in June 2026. Walter Alcorn (Virginia) is first vice chair and Dr. Tracy Hadden Loh (DC) is second vice chair. |
News & Signals
Sources
- WMATA — Leadership
- WMATA — Board of Directors
- Maryland Manual — Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: Origin & Functions
- WMATA Board — Approval of FY2027 Budget and FY2027–FY2032 Capital Improvement Program (Board Document 300120, April 23, 2026)
- WMATA — FY2027 Proposed Budget
- WMATA — Board of Directors adopts FY2027 budget with expanded service and no fare increase
- Metro Magazine — WMATA Approves Nearly $5B FY2026 Budget
- WMATA — Virginia and Maryland leaders endorse DMVMoves funding and recommendations for future of Metro and area transit systems
- DMVMoves — COG, Metro leaders applaud Virginia and Maryland officials on transit funding action
- Coalition for Smarter Growth — 2026 Maryland General Assembly finale: Housing and transportation recap
- WMATA Board — Digital and AI Ecosystem (Executive Committee, July 10, 2025)
- WMATA Board — Transformation Update: Digital Modernization (Executive Committee, January 11, 2024)
- WMATA OIG — Management Assistance Report: OIG Concerns Over Critical Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities That Remain Unresolved (MAR-23-0003)
- WMATA OIG — Audit of WMATA's Data Center Cost Optimization (OIG 25-07)
- WMATA OIG — Audit of WMATA's Data Privacy (April 2026)
- WMATA OIG — Evaluation of WMATA's Security Cameras (June 2026)
- WMATA — Capital Program Project Pages, FY2026 Quarter 2 (February 2026)
- WMATA Board — 8000-Series Project Update (Safety and Operations Committee, July 10, 2025)
- WTOP — Metro expanding full train automation to all lines for the first time in 16 years
- WMATA — Paying for the bus just got easier: Tap. Ride. Go. contactless payment launches on Metrobus
- WMATA Board — Procurement Activity Concurrence (Finance and Capital Committee, April 9, 2026)
- WMATA Board — Rail Modernization Quarterly Update (Finance and Capital Committee, June 11, 2026)
- WMATA — Procurement and Contracting
- WMATA — Procurement and Materials Best Practices Manual (Version 10.0, May 28, 2026)
- WMATA Board — Digital & AI Ecosystem Acceleration Update (Safety and Operations Committee, March 26, 2026)