Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 31, 2003

Metro hosts renaming ceremony at facility now named the Carmen E. Turner maintenance and training facility

Renaming ceremony taking place on last day of national women’s history month

Today, on the last day of National Women’s History Month, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) hosted a renaming ceremony at the facility on Pennsy Drive in Landover, Maryland, now officially renamed the Carmen E. Turner Maintenance and Training Facility in honor of Metro’s first African American and female General Manager.In addition to Board Chairman Jim Graham and other Board members and Metro’s CEO and General Manager Richard A. White, Congressman Steny Hoyer and Congressman Al Wynn also attended the ceremony." The renaming of this building in honor of one of Metro’s past leaders will aptly recognize the accomplishments of a great woman," stated Mr. White. " This ceremony comes at a time when Mrs. Turner can take her rightful place in the " National Women’s History Month Hall of Fame," as she blazed an important trail for women’s participation in the field of transportation." Last January, the Metro Board of Directors passed a resolution recognizing that the Pennsy Drive Maintenance and Training Facility ’shall henceforth be known as the Carmen E. Turner Maintenance and Training Facility and shall be so designated on Authority maps and publications." A handsome framed copy of that resolution was presented today to family members of the late Carmen E. Turner. In addition, family members participated in unveiling the building’s new name and in unveiling a bronze plaque containing her picture. Mrs. Turner served as Metro’s General Manager from 1983 to 1990. She is credited with moving the Authority forward by obtaining the needed federal commitment to fund the remainder of the planned 103-mile Metrorail system, which was completed in 2001.To remedy capacity constraints at Metro, the Board approved the purchase of the Carmen E. Turner Maintenance and Training Facility (the former Hechinger distribution center) three years ago at 3500 Pennsy Drive in Landover. The purchase price was $19.5 million. More than 500 Metro employees are housed at this facility. The Carmen E. Turner building contains 647,000 square feet and is used for Operations training as well as Bus and Systems maintenance work. In addition, this building has training facilities for the Office of Safety and Metro Transit Police. It includes a simulated Metrorail tunnel and platform, complete with a real two-car Metrorail train, for holding emergency drill simulations with Metro employees, area jurisdictional emergency personnel, and officials from other transit properties nationwide.

News release issued on March 31, 2003.