Metro, Washington, D.C.’s subway system, has a new boss: General Manager Paul Wiedefeld.
Here’s a snapshot of all the problems he has to face:
- Ridership levels are falling, while population is rising
- Metro’s recent history of accidents
- The Federal Government taking over the oversight of Metro’s safety
- Overcapacity at the Rosslyn tunnel, with the new Silver Line
These, plus just a general (and real) perception that Metro is run poorly and inefficiently, mean Wiedefeld better get to work — and get to work fast.
Did Wiedefeld drop a hint in this morning’s Express about how he is going to do it? Maybe so… (emphasis added)
Make Metro Great Again… That sounds familiar — Wiedefeld and Donald Trump seem to be on the same page in more ways than one.
Sure, they now may share a slogan. But, they also may share a lack of specific solutions. In recent interviews, Wiedefeld has said his first short-term solution is to make sure the announcements are read more clearly.
Seriously — he thinks the public announcements are a big problem. Most commuters have their headphone in anyway… The only way people will actually listen to those announcements is if Donald Trump reads them himself.
And of course, if Trump were to run Metro, he would probably fire most of Metro’s staff. That is desperately needed, but unlikely to happen thanks to the union’s strong control.
But, hope springs eternal, and we can try to be optimistic for Wiedefeld’s potential long-term solutions. Metro needs it.
