WASHINGTON 鈥� After the system鈥檚 response to past incidents, Sen. Mark Warner says the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority clearly needs more oversight. He hasn鈥檛 decided, however,聽whether the聽Federal Transit Administration is the best agency to get Metro back on track.
鈥淲hat I want to try to evaluate is who has got the greatest technical capabilities to help Metro get to where it needs to be, where the ridership feels safe,鈥� the Virginia Democrat says.
He says he will speak with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx about his decision to put聽Metrorail safety oversight .
There are reports that WMATA, the agency that runs Metrorail and Metrobus, is close to selecting a new general manager, but the senator calls the long search for a leader a 鈥渉uge problem.鈥澛� Warner says聽he is disappointed that the system doesn鈥檛 have a leadership team that reacts with the appropriate sense of urgency when it comes to safety and rider confidence.
鈥淚 continue to be disappointed that after all of these incidents we鈥檝e not seen the system in many ways step up,鈥� he says.
The FTA took oversight control from the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which was established by D.C., Virginia and Maryland.
The regions will have to come together again and put together an oversight committee that the FTA deems capable before it relinquishes its oversight control. Warner says that process needs to be void of regional politics.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had too many years of battles between Virginia, Maryland and the District.鈥�
Warner says聽calls from some in Congress to cut Metro鈥檚 funding are not the answer. He does worry that a self-fulfilling prophecy could be realized if rider confidence drops and people stop using the system.
鈥淥n top of that, particularly, members of Congress who don鈥檛 live in the region say 鈥楲et鈥檚 cut back funding鈥� on a system that is aging, that needs substantial improvements,鈥� Warner said.
