The three top leaders of Maryland, Virginia and the District united on Tuesday to call for making Metro safer and more accountable to the region.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said a series of accidents and safety missteps have highlighted the need for increasing their involvement and oversight of the agency.
“We feel we have a duty to make sure that the Metro system provides ongoing reliable and safe ridership,” McDonnell said. “We are not up to that standard and we have expressed a lot of concern.”
The three said they have agreed to enact a multiphase set of steps to improve the agency. First, they agreed to bolster the independent oversight agency that monitors the transit system with a full-time chairman and require it to report monthly to the three jurisdictions. Until November, the Tri-State Oversight Committee had never met with Metro’s board of directors.
Second, they plan to ask Congress to modify the compact that governs Metro. They did not provide many specifics as to how the legal agreement should be changed, but suggested that the three jurisdictions could create a public transportation oversight commission and modify how they choose the board of directors. The Virginia legislature also would need to approve changes, McDonnell said.
Finally, they also hope to meet directly with interim General Manager Richard Sarles several times each year, Fenty said.
But when asked about increasing funding — which transit advocates are seeking from the three jurisdictions because the agency must close an $189.2 million gap in the upcoming budget — the leaders demurred.
But when asked about increasing funding — which transit advocates are seeking from the three jurisdictions because the agency must close an $189.2 million gap in the upcoming budget — the leaders demurred.
“The resources that we all provide, which are extensive, need to be better managed,” Fenty said.
Their call is just the latest from top officials for greater oversight of Metro, which has been in the spotlight since the June 22 crash killed nine people.
Metro welcomed Tuesday’s news of stronger oversight by the three leaders. “We view the agencies that provide oversight as our partners in a common goal — keeping passengers and employees safe every day,” said spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.
