Metro’s longest-serving board member unexpectedly announced on Thursday he planned to resign from the transit agency. Christopher Zimmerman said he is leaving because he is becoming chairman of the Arlington County Board and wanted to focus on that work. “After 13 years, I thought it was fair to say it’s somebody else’s turn.”
But the news surprised both his peers on the 14-member Metro board and transit advocates who consider him a champion of riders’ interests.
Maryland alternate representative Gordon Linton also gave his goodbyes, but his resignation after six years was expected as his term expired in June.
The departures mean a significant loss of transit experience on the board, which has been under fire since the June 2009 Red Line crash. Linton was a former Federal Transit Administration head. Zimmerman helped push Metro to add eight-car trains, alternative fuel buses and real-time arrival information.
More changes are likely because of the election of Rushern Baker as Prince George’s County executive and Vincent Gray as D.C. mayor.
All this comes as three groups have been studying how to reform Metro — specifically looking at the board and how it governs the agency. One regional task force of business leaders and government officials urged major reforms that would weaken the power of elected officials such as Zimmerman, giving more power to political appointees.
“There’s a lot going on,” Zimmerman said when asked about the effect of those recommendations. “In some ways there’s more going on about Metro outside of Metro.”
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth director, said it was a shame to lose Zimmerman’s voice. “He lives and breathes transit and transit-oriented development,” he said. “He has a virtual Ph.D. in bicycle and transit planning.”
Dennis Jaffe of the Sierra Club said Zimmerman led the charge to secure more funding instead of cutting service amid a Metro budget crunch this year.
“Despite the fact that there is wide public dismay with Metro and Zimmerman is the longest-serving member of the board, he actually happens to be the most committed advocate for riders on the board,” Jaffe said.
Arlington County board member Mary Hynes will take Zimmerman’s spot, while former Takoma Park Mayor Kathy Porter will fill Linton’s seat.
