Metro’s Board of Directors will be changing yet again, with two new faces representing D.C. after an unexpected move on Tuesday that one observer called “naked political payback.” Ward 4 Councilwoman Muriel Bowser will replace Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells in one voting seat, while lobbyist Thomas J. Bulger will take over At-Large Councilman Michael Brown’s alternate spot.
The moves were part of a wide-ranging shuffle initiated by Council Chairman Kwame Brown that also forced Wells from his chairmanship of the city’s transportation committee. A replacement for Michael Brown was expected as he had said he wanted to step down. But the Bowser-Wells swap was a surprise, as Wells had just joined the Metro board in January. He replaced longtime board member Jim Graham, who also was ousted by Kwame Brown.
Wells told his fellow council members the latest switch was “reckless.”
David Alpert, D.C. vice chairman of Metro’s Riders Advisory Council and founder of the Greater Greater Washington blog, condemned the move as “naked political payback” for Wells publishing a report on the chairman’s Lincoln Navigator scandal earlier this year. Alpert said Bowser has the necessary experience as head of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, but her appointment creates uncertainty.
“We knew that Tommy Wells was doing a good job. We knew that Tommy Wells was thinking regionally,” Alpert said.
Bulger’s nomination was unanimously approved but met skepticism. The D.C. resident is a registered lobbyist who has represented transportation-related groups on Capitol Hill.
“It concerns me that he’s not a commuter on Metro,” Wells said, adding he would rather see someone from Ward 8 or 7, who is dependent on buses.
Bulger, who lives in Ward 2, did not return a call for comment.
Tom Downs, a former city administrator, will continue to fill D.C.’s second voting seat; the other alternate is vacant.
Only four of Metro’s 14 directors were on the board during the deadly 2009 Red Line crash that prompted major upheaval. More change could be coming: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to try to appoint a new representative, too.
Freeman Klopott contributed to this report.
