Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 14, 2004

Metro to host online chats

Metro General Manager and CEO Richard A. White will respond directly to online questions from Metro riders this Friday when the transit authority begins to host live hour-long online chats twice a month. The online sessions are called "Metro LunchTalk Online" since the chats will take place during the traditional lunchtime hour of noon to 1 p.m.

The launch of the first online question and answer session will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, December 17. The first several sessions will feature Mr. White as the host, although other Metro senior management officials will host future sessions.

"I am looking forward to having another opportunity to listen to, and talk with, our customers," Mr. White said. "I hope they will share their experiences with me, and that I will learn from their insights and observations. Additionally, I hope to answer customers’ questions, provide more details about issues covered in the media, and explain why we do some of the things we do.

"Our customers generally contact us via telephone, email, and letters," he said. "This is a new way for us to communicate with each other. The online sessions are a natural extension of our goal to improve customer communication and outreach."

Metro customers will be able to log onto Metro LunchTalk Online from Metro’s homepage at www.metroopensdoors.com or directly at www.forums-wmata.com. Participants will need to register in advance if they want to submit questions during one of the forums. Viewers who prefer to follow along without submitting questions are not required to register. One of the features of registering is that if someone submits a question, he/she does not have to monitor the full hour-long session to find out if an answer has been posted because the original sender of the question will receive an email if a response to their inquiry has been posted. This allows participants to post a question and go away from their computer. As many questions as possible will be answered during the hour-long session.

An archive of all of the question and answer sessions will be posted on the web site for future reference. Persons without internet access can call Metro’s Customer Service Office at 202-637-1328 and request a session transcript.

For more information about Metro LunchTalk Online visit www.forums-wmata.com.

News release issued on December 14, 2004.