FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2016
CONTACT
Yasmine Evans (Edwards) - 202-225-8699
Members of National Capital Region Delegation Request Details of WMATA’s SafeTrack Maintenance Plan
Washington, D.C. – Today Maryland Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards and members of the region’s Congressional delegation sent a bipartisan letter to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager Paul Wiedefeld with a list of detailed questions regarding the recently announced SafeTrack maintenance plan to increase safety in the Metrorail system.
“We understand the challenges you face and have worked to provide federal resources to make critical safety and maintenance repairs on the system, particularly in the wake of the 2009 Fort Totten accident,” the Members wrote. “Unfortunately, while WMATA has made progress on National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Transit Administration recommendations since that time, it has failed to make broad, systemic reforms to identify and manage risk and ensure a top-to-bottom culture of safety.”
They continued, “This new accelerated maintenance plan must be part of that systemic reform, and must deliver improved safety and reliability for the riders who are rapidly losing confidence in the system.”
In addition to Congresswoman Edwards, the letter was signed by Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Delaney (D-MD), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Barbara Comstock (R-VA).
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Mr. Wiedefeld,
We are writing with respect to the proposed SafeTrack accelerated maintenance plan that you released on Friday. We appreciate the opportunity to review the plan and assess its impact on our constituents, including federal employees, who depend on WMATA service.
We understand the challenges you face and have worked to provide federal resources to make critical safety and maintenance repairs on the system, particularly in the wake of the 2009 Fort Totten accident. Unfortunately, while WMATA has made progress on National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Transit Administration recommendations since that time, it has failed to make broad, systemic reforms to identify and manage risk and ensure a top-to-bottom culture of safety.
This new accelerated maintenance plan must be part of that systemic reform, and must deliver improved safety and reliability for the riders who are rapidly losing confidence in the system. To that end, we request some additional details on the plan and how it fits into the larger WMATA operations and maintenance effort:
1. SafeTrack condenses three years of maintenance work into one year with the goal of accelerating progress toward a state of good repair. After this year’s work, will WMATA reach a state of good repair? If not, what additional steps will be required?
2. What can riders expect from the maintenance program after this year?
3. Now that the proposed plan has been announced, how are you working with local jurisdictions to supplement transit options in the most impacted areas?
4. How is WMATA soliciting input from riders throughout this process?
5. Will Metrobus routes continue to run on their regular daily and weekend schedules? Will more buses be added?
6. Will rider tools like Trip Planner be updated to account for service disruptions?
7. How will customer service staff be trained to direct riders to alternate options?
8. What kind of service delays can be expected during weeknight maintenance work? When and how will riders receive information about these impacts?
9. How will Metro coordinate regularly with OPM to minimize impacts on the federal workforce?
10. How will you make progress reports available to riders? Will there be real time updates via an online or mobile dashboard, weekly reports, or some other method?
11. How will labor needs be managed? How many contractors and overtime hours will be necessary?
12. How will quality control be enforced to ensure that the work is done correctly and on schedule?
13. How will routine maintenance, including work on rail cars, be integrated with the accelerated plan?
Thank you for your attention to these questions. WMATA is a critical service for our constituents and our communities, and we are committed to working with you to restore the system. We look forward to your response and discussing these issues in more detail at your earliest convenience.
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