Metro Expectations

The White Flint Sector Plan relies heavily on the assumption that public transit will move the tens of thousands of new residents and employees, all of whom will have to run errands, take kids to the doctor, make a quick trip to the dry cleaners and grocery store, and get to work. So how realistic are those expectations? Today’s article in the Washington Post, “D.C. Transit Agency Often Slow to Act on Safety Recommendations,” by reporters Joe Stephens and Lena Sun questions both the safety and the financing available to fulfill the requirements of the Sector Plan buildout.


According to the reporters,

"A Washington Post analysis of committee data shows that, as of Nov. 20, more than 100 safety corrections recommended after accidents, other incidents and audits were listed as not completed."

To be fair, the article points out that after the analysis, 36 of the corrections were implemented.

However, a former member of the NTSB is quoted in the artice saying that there is neglect to safety priorities. And, oversight is so lax that our Maryland senator, Barbara Mikulski, has called for strict new oversight and changes.

And why haven’t some of these changes, like retrofits to some railcars, haven’t been completed because – wait for it – there is no money.

Today’s article adds to numerous articles in the Washington Post and The Examiner that make it clear in addition to lax safety oversight, Metro simply does not have the money to build a second approach to the White Flint Metro, let alone add another metro stop.

As someone who takes the redline on an almost daily basis, if we have the choice between safety and convenience, I am firmly in the safety camp. How about you?