Metro News Release

For immediate release: January 22, 2004

Metro’s outgoing Board Chairman Jim Graham addresses fellow Board members And Metro Executive Staff

At today’s Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro)Board of Directors Meeting, Metro Board member Jim Graham addressed his fellow Board members, Metro’s CEO and General Manager Richard A. White, and executive staff, as he completed his term as Chairman of the Metro Board. "I want to begin by saying what a privilege it has been for me to serve as Chairman of this Board for the past year," said Mr. Graham. "I have greatly enjoyed working with my colleagues to guide Metro through a difficult period. I have appreciated their hard work and dedication throughout 2003. I also believe that, despite some unexpectedly daunting challenges, we achieved remarkable progress in several areas. "I doubt whether any of us on this Board would have predicted one year ago that in 2003 Metro would face a record snowstorm, a major hurricane, and our first fare increase in eight years. Nonetheless, we survived all this, and we still achieved a ridership growth despite continued economic and homeland security challenges." When Mr. Graham assumed the chairmanship year ago, one of his priorities was to find a way to give Metro customers more service. At that time, Metro’s budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 2003 was coming into sharper focus, and Metro’s first fare increase in eight years began to appear likely. He cautioned that the Authority should offer better value for the fare dollar before raising fares. One year later, Metro accomplished that goal. Under Mr. Graham, Metro’s top achievements include the following:" A pilot program with funding from the District of Columbia was established to extend the hours of operation for Metrorail by opening at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings from the end of the rail lines, and closing at 3 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night. The pilot program concludes on December 31, 2004, and its continuation is subject to action by the Board of Directors." The Board allocated $6 million in fiscal year 2004 to improve reliability of escalators and elevators. " The Comprehensive Escalator Canopy Pilot Program was completed with the installation of canopies at the Brookland-CUA, L’Enfant Plaza, Medical Center, and Virginia Square-GMU Metrorail stations. Construction will continue on canopies at 26 Metrorail stations, which will be completed by the end of 2005. The canopies will extend the life of these escalators by protecting them from severe weather. " A free e-mail subscription service was implemented to notify customers of elevator service disruptions at Metrorail stations. Customers can sign up to receive notification on their computers, cell phones, pagers, or personal digital assistants. The electronic elevator notification is free and available through Metro’s web site." A Small Business and Local Preference Program was created as a two-year demonstration program. The program assists small business owners and employers of these businesses in benefitting through an infusion of funds from Metro. The program calls for a preference program for simplified acquisitions -- those procurements for which Metro pays $100,000 or less. Under Metro’s procurement procedures, simplified acquisitions are not subject to the same requirements of larger procurements, so Metro can make them more accessible to small businesses in the Washington metropolitan region. To date, 641 firms have been certified under this new program, with a total of $4.2 million being awarded. The anticipated impact to the local economy could be as much as $46 million, based on 2003 purchasing activity. The projected dollar goal for Fiscal Year 2004 is $35 million. "In the past year, we made a strong commitment to our customers by improving the reliability of our escalators and elevators. Some of our escalators and elevators have reached a quarter-century of service, and normal wear and tear have made them a recurring source of customer complaints and frustration. I believe 2003 marked a real turnaround in the Authority’s recognition of the urgency of this problem, and in it determination to act," Mr. Graham said. "I’m also extremely proud of the progress we made in 2003 on construction of the New York Avenue station on the Red Line and the Blue Line extension to Largo, MD. The areas around these stations include opportunities for community revitalization, economic development, and job growth. The continued success of these projects will also depend on partnerships within the community, and the local businesses in ensuring the successful completion of these projects." In looking ahead to 2004, Mr. Graham pointed to the upcoming Anacostia Demonstration Project as illustrating a point we should all remember - there are many opportunities for Metro to provide more and better service that would not require building new heavy rail lines. If the Metro Board and staff continue to innovate and pursue an entrepreneurial approach, we can take advantage of these opportunities and extend transportation services to thousands of new customers every year. "If my experience as Board Chairman taught me anything, it is the fact that ’Metro Matters’ is really an understatement. Metro is absolutely critical to our region. From my constituents in Ward One in the District of Columbia, to customers as far away as Franconia-Springfield, Shady Grove, and Branch Avenue, the people of the national capital area rely on us to help make their daily lives better," he said. As Mr. Graham stepped down as Board Chairman, he encouraged his fellow Board Members "to continue to believe passionately in Metro’s key role in our region, to advocate tirelessly for its customers, and to work diligently to ensure the regional cooperation required to make it succeed for another three decades and more." Mr. Graham will be succeeded as Chairman by Robert Smith of Maryland.

News release issued on January 22, 2004.