National Capital Region Delegation Hosts Meeting with Metro on SafeTrack Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Capital Region Delegation today hosted a meeting on Capitol Hill with Paul Wiedefeld – the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) – to discuss Metro's proposed SafeTrack plan, which will address maintenance and rehabilitation efforts of the rail system. This is the second delegation meeting with Mr. Wiedefeld since he joined Metro in November 2015. Members attending today's meeting included Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Congressman John Delaney (D-Md.) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-Va.).

"I thank Mr. Wiedefeld for joining us today to talk about the new SafeTrack maintenance plan and how it will affect regional commuters, many of whom are my constituents in the Fifth District," said Congressman Hoyer. "The safety and reliability of Metro continues to be one of my top priorities. I will continue to communicate with Mr. Wiedelfeld to make sure Metro institutes a culture of safety for its riders and to support federal funding to help with the system's infrastructure needs."

"I appreciate today's briefing from Mr. Wiedefeld on Metro's new year-long safety overhaul and for working with our regional delegation to examine ways to help our constituents navigate this unprecedented project," said Congresswoman Norton. "SafeTrack must meet its promise to get Metro in compliance with the safety standards outlined by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Transit Administration to be worthy of the sacrifices of residents. We will be working with federal agencies to examine ways to facilitate teleworking for federal employees."

"I appreciate the opportunity to meet with General Manager Wiedefeld to discuss his plans to rebuild WMATA," Congressman Van Hollen said, "As recent incidents and years of declining reliability have shown, a culture of safety has been sorely lacking at the agency. Significant work is needed to restore public faith in the system, and WMATA must be transparent and accountable throughout this process."

"I and the rest of the region's congressional delegation are just as frustrated as riders about the now routine safety incidents and service disruptions throughout the Metro system," said Congressman Connolly. "Today we met with Metro GM Paul Wiedefeld to learn more about his aggressive plans to address safety and reliability. Multiple federal reports have highlighted the decades-long march into mediocrity. The mere fact that these challenges existed speaks to the level of indifference to safety that had permeated the agency. These are not problems that will be fixed overnight. The SafeTrack plan will be painful for riders to endure, but it is this kind of bold, decisive action that is necessary to begin putting Metro back on track. It will take the combined efforts of Metro's new leadership, frontline employees and regional stakeholders to mitigate challenges for riders while these necessary improvements are made."

"I am deeply concerned about the ongoing safety issues with the national capital region's Metrorail system," said Congressman Sarbanes. "I will continue to support efforts at the federal level to provide WMATA with the resources necessary to make significant improvements."

"I appreciate Mr. Widefeld taking the time to meet with the delegation and discuss how Metro can improve and I thank Whip Hoyer for organizing the meeting," said Congressman Delaney. "Metro safety and reliability is a top priority for my constituents and they deserve a higher standard of service, that's why I've consistently fought for more funding for Metro and am focused on improving the Metro Board."

"I appreciate Mr. Wiedefeld's continued efforts to engage with regional stakeholders. For WMATA's SafeTrack plan to be executed successfully and with minimal pain, it will require regional coordination, resources, and communication," said Congressman Beyer. "The disruptions caused by these track improvements will disproportionately impact Northern Virginians. WMATA must do everything possible to ensure the end result is done right and on time."

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