• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 7, 2010

CBS Outdoor announced that it has won a renewal of its contract with the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority to manage out-of-home advertising on WMATA outdoor assets, which cover its bus and rail systems, including 86 metro subway stations, 1,200 rail cars, and 1,300 buses.

The renewal extends the CBS-WMATA contract for another three years, followed by up to four potential single-year renewals. Over the next decade, the number of rail cars is expected to rise to just under 1,500 as part of planned service expansions.

Coming not long after CBS reclaimed the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus and commuter rail contract, the deal extends CBS Outdoor's access to a large, transit-intensive market.

Covering a service area measuring 1,500 square miles with a population of about 4 million, WMATA currently carries about 1.2 million riders per day -- almost one-third of the regional population. In 2008, WMATA rail passengers made about 425 million trips per year.

What's more, the Washington, D.C. metro area is expected to grow, encouraging new transit construction and increased ridership. From 2000-2010, the broader Washington metro area population increased 6% from about 5.2 million to 5.5 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is projected to reach 5.8 million by 2015.

WMATA is already building out its infrastructure to support continued growth, including a new $2.3 billion, 23-mile extension of the metro rail system through Fairfax and Loudon counties to Dulles International Airport. That brings a total of 11 new stations, also serving Tyson's Corner, Virginia's largest center of employment.

The first phase of the extension is scheduled for completion in 2013, the second in 2016.