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DOT Secretary's blog update--International Chiefs of Police are valued road safety partners

Us Secretary of Transportation - Fri, 03/12/2010 - 08:15

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DOT Secretary's blog update--FHWA Recovery Act Map tells a great story with few words

Us Secretary of Transportation - Thu, 03/11/2010 - 11:01

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DOT Secretary's blog update--Traffic fatalities drop again, but the work remains

Us Secretary of Transportation - Thu, 03/11/2010 - 05:38

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DOT Secretary's blog update-- Aviation expansion forecast adds to case for NextGen

Us Secretary of Transportation - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 06:23

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DOT Secretary's blog update--Kings Point student-athletes teach lesson in excellence

Us Secretary of Transportation - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 12:52

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DOT Secretary's blog update--President and First Lady mark International Women's Day

Us Secretary of Transportation - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 06:34

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DOT Secretary's blog update-- Guest blogger Peter Appel, New ITS Strategic Plan envisions unprecedented mobility and safety

Us Secretary of Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 12:21

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DOT Secretary's blog update--Recovery Act transit investments pay multiple dividends

Us Secretary of Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 06:37

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What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head?

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

Transportation Expert Blogger and former New Jersey Transit chief Rich Sarles has just been named interim general manager of the troubled Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, largely because Metro officials believe he can start making needed changes while they search for a new permanent leader for the system.

In the past year, Metro saw nine people killed, including the train operator, when a moving train crashed into one stopped on the tracks in June; a track worker doing maintenance work killed in August; and two more workers killed by a maintenance vehicle in January.

On March 4, the Federal Transit Administration issued a hard-hitting safety audit of Metro and the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which oversees the system's safety. The audit found both the oversight board and Metro's safety department seriously lacking in authority, resources, expertise, and effective communication internally and with each other.

The 34-year-old system also faces daunting funding challenges. Planned expansions mean its future needs are great, but it lacks a dedicated funding source to cover the 45 percent of its operating budget that fares and advertising do not. The federal government provides $150 million a year in special capital support for safety investments, matched by local contributions from dedicated sources. In return for this funding stream, created to reflect the federal government's dependence on Metro to move its thousands of employees, the Metro board was required to add four federal appointees (two voting and two non-voting) to strengthen oversight of the agency. Transportation Expert Blogger Mort Downey was appointed to one of the voting seats.

Given Metro's many problems and the expectation that Mr. Sarles can effect change during his brief tenure, what advice would you give him? How should he go about tackling Metro's safety problems, which FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff said "will only be solved through a top-to-bottom change in the safety culture and focus at Washington Metro"? Can he do enough to satisfy members of Congress from the region, who have called for a federal takeover of the system if its safety record doesn't improve soon?

Laura Barrett responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 12, 2010 11:46 AM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

The civil rights movement galvanized around inequities in transportation, and 55 years later, the inequities in DC metro area transit only deepen the crisis WAMTA has to face down. There is a serious inequity in WAMTA’s potential list of methods to address the $189 million dollar budget shortfall: bus riders may face a fare hike of $0.50 per ride, while the proposed fare hike for rail riders is $0.25 per ride, plus a distance surcharge. By WAMTA’s own analysis, bus riders are twice as likely to be people of color, have average incomes of less than 60% of rail...

Joung Lee responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 11, 2010 03:15 PM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

  In the last few years, more and more young professionals are beginning to rediscover life inside America's urban centers.  This is for a wide variety of factors; be it cultural connectivity, social amenities, cost of living, or even simply a change in view.  While living preferences vary from young professional to young professional, a major common demand amongst most of us is time - or the lack thereof.  We seek instant delivery of information, things, ideas, but most importantly we want to know that we can get from point A to point B with little or no delays in between. ...

Parris N. Glendening responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 10, 2010 02:04 PM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

Congratulations to Rich Sarles as he moves into the role of interim general manager of the dc metro. He certainly has some challenges ahead of him. They can be overcome! Knowing the value of free advice, I offer the following suggestions: 1. Begin from a position of strength by focusing on the many positive aspects of Metro. Clearly and firmly pledge to create the best-managed and most fiscally sound and safe transit system in the country. Notwithstanding recent tragic accidents, remind the public of Metro’s track record of safety in light of the fact that with nearly a million trips...

Steve Van Beek responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 9, 2010 07:37 AM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

Rich Sarles will make an excellent interim General Manager and I have no doubt he will be ably supported by Board Members like Mort Downey.  But let’s be realistic with WMATA for a change. Rich’s job is a short-term position and the best we can expect from him is to begin the process of introducing the type of cultural change my colleagues have addressed. These are long-term, multifaceted and multiple General Manager endeavors.  The problems with WMATA are deeply ingrained and in addition to safety include an unwieldy governance structure and beggar-they-neighbor politics with the three local jurisdictions and the federal government. WMATA is...

Lisa Caruso responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 8, 2010 04:31 PM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

For those of you who don't see The Washington Post regularly, today's lead editorial made it painfully clear the tough road that lies ahead for Mr. Sarles (and suggests that the FTA safety audit might provide "the outline of a road map for how to proceed"). Here's the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/07/AR2010030702357.html...

Ken Orski responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 8, 2010 03:47 PM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

Updated at 4:27 p.m. on March 8. As a frequent user — and occasional sufferer— of Metrorail I would like to join Mort Downey in welcoming Rich Sarles as WMATA’s interim General Manager. He brings impressive qualifications to this assignment and I wish him well. Like most of us, I was disturbed reading the FTA’s highly critical safety audit. Blaming the problems on Metrorail’s age sounds to me like a lame excuse, considering that the 100+ year old rail systems of New York, London and Paris have a far superior safety record. Moreover, their escalators are far more reliable. Rather,...

Beverly A. Scott responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 8, 2010 08:58 AM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

First, I have never been one to Sunday Morning quarterback. It’s not helpful. And, I have personally been around long enough to know that if you ever walk in someone else’s shoes, you will invariably have a very different perspective. Now, that said, I have personally lived in the District twice in my life; and, been privileged to work at WMATA as their Deputy General Manager for Administration in the mid-1990s. When I worked for WMATA, I did not own an automobile because I didn’t need one. I made the decision to live on the METRO; and it worked well...

Mortimer L. Downey responded to What Advice Would You Give Metro's New Interim Head? on March 8, 2010 07:51 AM

National Journal: Transportation - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 05:50

I hope all of the participants will weigh in with constructive and actionable ideas that our fellow blogger Rich Sarles can bring to the job when he takes over on April 3rd. I’m sure all of us want to see Rich succeed as he takes over this challenging interim assignment, and no one feels that more acutely than I do! As a new member of the WMATA Board, I’ll hold my advice for the Board meetings, but I will also be monitoring this week’s exchange for your good ideas. Metro and its transit services are vital to the health and...

DOT Secretary's blog update--PHMSA Administrator Quarterman talks safety with the Common Ground Alliance

Us Secretary of Transportation - Fri, 03/05/2010 - 14:10

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DOT Secretary's blog update--Kings Point men's hoops rolls into Division III Big Dance

Us Secretary of Transportation - Fri, 03/05/2010 - 09:04

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DOT Secretary's blog update--DOT co-hosts White House Clean Energy Economy forum

Us Secretary of Transportation - Thu, 03/04/2010 - 15:07

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