The House on Wednesday approved an amendment aimed at enhancing federal oversight of Washington area’s beleaguered Metro system.
“I don’t have to tell my colleagues who ride Metro to and from work every day the problems WMATA Metro has had,” Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., said of the subway system that has been overrun by complaints in recent years, and plagued with accidents. In September, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended a federal takeover.
Edwards’ proposal would let the Department of Transportation the power to select the four federal government members of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s board of directors. Under current law, those appointees are made by the General Services Administration.
It’s a change that many who use the Metro system are hoping will improve a system that has been plagued with various accidents and delays over the last few years.
After a brief debate, the amendment passed by a voice vote with no opposition. Edwards said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx supports the plan, and that Metro does not oppose the change.
The measure is an amendment to the federal highway and mass transit bill making its way through the House, a major first test for new House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Edwards represents some of the Maryland suburbs of the District and cosponsored the measure with Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., who represents a similarly suburban district in Northern Virginia. Both districts are home to thousands of federal workers.
“It’s been a real pleasure to work with Ms. Comstock on this. It’s very rare to work across the aisle,” said Edwards, who is running to fill the Senate seat vacated by the soon-to-retire Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.
This story was corrected to clarify that the amendment is not a federal takeover of the D.C. Metro, and instead would let the Department of Transportation pick Metro’s board of directors.
