In December, 191 Metro trains were emptied of their passengers and taken out of service because of mechanical and door problems. That was a 56 percent increase over the previous month and does not include incidents involving ice on the tracks, sick customers or a train that was emptied Dec. 14 because of graffiti.
If this service record worries you, you’re going to love Metro’s new strategy to plug its operating budget’s holes by skimping on preventive maintenance, even as it adds new bureaucrats to its staff. Metro is facing a $40 million operating deficit, and in two weeks its board will hold a hearing asking commuters whether the transit agency should cut service, raid its capital fund (i.e., skimp on safety and maintenance), or increase fares by adding a 10-cent “surcharge” to each ride.
