In his first public address, Metro’s new boss says the troubled transit system is worse than he expected — and perhaps worse than we’ve been talking about.
But he’s got a plan. It’s a long to-do list and he’s already started some of it.
For a lot of riders — and for the new Metro leader Paul Wiedefeld — safety is the first priority, especially after a woman died in a trapped, smoke filled rail car.
“Pretty much ever since the incident at L’Enfant Plaza last year, where the woman lost her life, I feel a lot less comfortable on Metro,” said D.C. resident Sarah Solon, who said she used to ride all the time.
The new GM has launched a web page where you can keep track of the system’s response to the Federal Transit Administration’s safety demands. Fully staffing the Rail Operations Center remains a yellow work in progress.
“It’s much worse than I expected, and perhaps publicly than we’ve talking about,” said Wiedefeld.
The new CEO says a lot of work is already underway, including installing new radio systems and cell phone cables in the tunnels and replacing the oldest rail cars.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Bruce Leshan over at WUSA 9