Metro News Release
For immediate release: December 21, 2004
What’s in store for Metro in 2005"
Metro Looks Ahead to 2005 With a Back-to-Basics Approach: safety, reliability, cleanliness and enhanced customer service
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is looking ahead to 2005 with a back-to-basics approach that will focus on safe, reliable, clean, and enhanced customer-focused service for the 1.3 million customers who use Metrorail, Metrobus and Metroaccess each weekday. "At different points in our history, Metro was a construction-focused organization, then an operations-focused organization," said Richard A. White, Metro GM/CEO. "Today, we must become a customer-focused organization to meet our customers’ needs and expectations. The reliability and customer service initiatives we announced in November, together with the fiscal year 2006 budget we proposed earlier this month, reflects our commitment to that customer service focus. I am confident that our customers will see a different kind of Metro organization in the coming year than they have been used to seeing and our customers will be the better for it."
Here is some of what Metro has planned in 2005.
CUSTOMER SERVICE/RELIABILITY ENHANCEMENTS:
In 2005, Metro will move forward on an aggressive service reliability, customer service and corporate accountability initiative to improve customer confidence. The ’back-to-basics’ approach recommits Metro’s resources from the front office to the front lines, and improves service reliability and customer satisfaction. The initiative was taken in light of recent declining service reliability, back-to-back fare increases and increased customer concerns.
The broad outline of changes in 2005 that are now underway include:
Service Reliability Initiatives
Modify internal work processes to provide improved organizational support to our operating departments.
Reorganize Metro’s transit services, beginning with rail to provide for rail line ownership. This will be accomplished by establishing specific line managers for Red Line, Orange/Blue lines and Green/Yellow lines; and providing customer-focused quality control.
Improve Operations Control Center (OCC), train operator and line supervisor troubleshooting training.
Conduct independent external reviews of Metro reliability, safety and human factors performance.
Customer Service Initiatives
Improve front-line service for station managers and police officers through new training.
Open new channels of communication with customers.
Provide a faster and more streamlined response to customer comments and questions.
Improve information to customers about service disruptions.
Simplify the process for fare problem resolution.
METRO’S OPERATING BUDGET
In 2005, Metro’s Board of Directors will review a proposed fiscal year 2006 $1 billion operating and capital budget, making it the first time in Metro’s 28-year history that a proposed budget has topped the $1 billion mark. As part of the $1 billion budget proposal, Mr. White has requested additional funding to support a variety of service enhancements for safety, service reliability, cleanliness and customer service. Some of these enhancements include:
Maintain rail safety by adding 14 track inspectors for closer inspection of Metrorail track to enhance rail system performance and safety.
Maintain service reliability by: adding 10 personnel to complement the increase in track inspections; add seven platform supervisors at major station transfer locations to aid in train loading, door and crowd management issues; add 10 station managers to support high volume stations during peak weekdays and weekend ’hot spots’; add two mechanics to improve the reliability of bus electronic destination signs; add support to ensure continuous service of the SmarTrip vending machines in rail stations; and add six janitors to improve the visibility of train arrival lighting fixtures and improve overall lighting conditions in rail stations. Improve the cleanliness of the Metrorail system by doubling the staff assigned to clean rail cars at the ends of major rail lines; add 10 cleaners to allow for greater cleanings inside high volume stations; create a second special project crew for special response cleaning needs at rail stations; and improve bus cleanliness by reducing the frequency of specialized interior bus cleanings from bi-weekly to weekly.
Improve customer service by adding 16 positions to provide more efficient customer service and address increased customer complaints; pair customer service personnel with front line operations personnel to respond to customer issues; support town hall meeting and on-line internet discussions; focus greater attention to improving response to letters and phone calls; and create a quality assurance program to monitor calls, e-mail and letters to ensure appropriate response and satisfaction. In addition to customer service and reliability initiatives, Mr. White’s FY 2006 budget proposal includes a request to utilize additional funds from the enhanced advertising programs recently approved by the Board of Directors to be used for the following:
Improving the passenger information display signs (PIDS) by installing a remote monitoring system for the PIDS that go blank so that maintenance response actions can be accelerated.
Installing explosive resistant trash receptacles on rail station platforms and mezzanines to reduce trash accumulation.
Enhancing the customer call processing system by installing an interactive voice recognition system for phone calls to provide for a more timely response to telephone calls and to better serve Spanish-speaking riders by adding a Spanish language capability to the Trip Planner voice recognition system.
"Our proposed FY 2006 budget places a strong emphasis on improvements in the areas of customer satisfaction and service reliability," said Mr. White.
INDEPENDENT REVIEWS
In 2005, Metro will undergo several independent external review for its Department of Operations and Metro Transit Police. The reviews of policies, procedures and programs are part of Metro’s initiatives to improve bus and rail reliability and customer service.
The Operations Department will undergo two professional service reviews. One will assess bus and rail reliability programs, maintenance contracts, and develop reliability program metrics. A second review will highlight personnel and customer service issues related to hiring, training and development efforts through the use of ’out of industry’sources of guidance and assessments. Metro will also convene an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) peer review of rail and bus operations, central control operations and operations training.
The Metro Transit Police will hire the Police Executive Research Forum to examine policing policies and procedures. This review will help customers and transit police officers understand each other’s expectations, help promote stronger relationships between customers and Transit Police officers, and broaden the spectrum of problem-solving strategies for officers. The goal is to strike a balance between customers’ expectations and the judicious enforcement of laws.
The Operations and Metro Transit Police reviews will cost approximately $650,000.
METRORAIL:
In late summer 2005, Metro will take initial delivery of 20 of its 62 new series 6000 rail cars, manufactured by ALSTOM. The cars will have an interior design to improve customer flow.
Throughout the year, Metro will continue to reintroduce into service its modernized series 2000/3000 BREDA rail cars. In 2005, Metro will accept 144 of these cars which look very similar to the series 5000 rail cars. In 2000, Metro awarded a contract to Alstom Transportation Inc., to modernize 364 rail cars. With many of these rail cars in service for nearly 20 years, Metro needed to modernize these cars to extend their life cycle. The completion of the entire contract is scheduled for spring 2006.
Next summer, Metro will open a new six-level, 1,250-space parking structure at the College Park Metrorail station and a six-level, 1,250-space parking structure at the White Flint Metrorail station.
In late 2005, Metro will open an eight-level, 1,800-space parking structure at the New Carrollton Metrorail station.
Next year, construction will continue on the first phase of enhancements for the eastern end of the Ballston Metrorail station. These enhancements include installing an additional elevator next to the existing elevator on the north side of Fairfax Drive, and two new elevators and a connecting underground passageway beneath the south side of Fairfax Drive. This project is expected to be completed in the summer 2006. Under the same contract, the new Shirlington Bus Station will be completed by the end of 2005. The bus station will be operated by Arlington County to serve both Arlington and Metro buses.
By the end of 2005, Metro will have completed construction on the new King Street Metrorail station mezzanine entrance with a platform, canopy extension, and 200 feet of new walkway.
In 2005, Metro will make the following changes to its Metrorail Passenger Information Display System (PIDS):
Early 2005, improve customer satisfaction by redesigning the PIDS signs to provide information about the next three arriving trains on one display.
Spring 2005, upgraded software installation to begin on the reducing ’dark display’ PIDS signs.
Summer 2005, upgrade the server software to enhance reliability, provide the capability to use different font sizes.
METROBUS:
In summer 2005, Metro will complete renovations and construction of its Four Mile Run Bus facility in Arlington, VA, in preparation to service and maintain 250 new Compressed Natural Gas buses, which are scheduled to arrive later in the year.
In 2005, Metro will place an order for 217 additional replacement buses; 117 clean diesel and 100 hybrid buses.
’The District of Columbia, in cooperation with Metro will unveil its new DC Circulator Bus Service in the summer. One route will operate from Union Station to Georgetown via K Street, with a second route operating from Mount Vernon Square-Convention Center to the DC Waterfront area.
In 2005, Metro will move ahead with the Bus Enhancement Program to include the design, fabrication and installation of 940 site-specific bus system maps to be installed in Metrorail stations and at Metro-owned bus shelters.
METROACCESS
Metro will implement the recommendations of the Paratransit Regional Task Force for improving service and lowering cost.
ESCALATORS/ELEVATORS
In early 2005, Metro will commence construction of canopies at 26 Metrorail stations as part of the Comprehensive Escalator Canopy Program. The entire program is scheduled to completed by the end of the year.
In 2005, Metro plans to modernize 19 elevators as part of its ongoing Elevator Rehabilitation Program with key units being the completion of all six elevators at Forest Glen, as well the traction elevators at Friendship Heights and Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan. This is part of a six-year program to overhaul 75 elevators, Metro will reach that goal by the end 2008. By the end of 2005, Metro will also complete the modernization of 31 more escalator units, concluding the fifth phase of the multi-year Escalator Rehabilitation Program. At that point, 178 station entrance escalators will have been modernized, since the inception of this program in 2000. The sixth and next phase of escalators to be modernized will begin in August 2005 with 41 escalators slated for rehabilitation including units at West Falls Church, Cheverly, White Flint and Grosvenor-Strathmore. Also, controller upgrades will begin on 20 escalators located throughout the system, with key stations including Franconia-Springfield and Gallery Place.
The Office of Elevator and Escalator Maintenance will open a training lab at the Carmen E. Turner Maintenance Facility in spring 2005. It will incorporate two operating elevators and an operating escalator for training Elevator and Escalator maintenance personnel as well as other Metro personnel and Fire Departments that may get involved with the escalators and elevators in the system.
SAFETY AND SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS
As part of its ongoing effort to improve safety and security, Metro will implement the following safety and security measures in 2005:
In 2005, construction of a new Metro Transit Police Department substation at Fort Totten will begin. It is scheduled to be completed by mid-2006.
Metro Transit Police presence will be enhanced with the addition of four explosive detection canine teams including necessary training.
Throughout 2005, Metro will host emergency preparedness events throughout the Metrorail system on the first Wednesday of each month at a transfer, terminal, or other high-volume station. The goal of the events is to have a dialogue with customers and to create a heightened awareness on their part about personal safety. Metro personnel will discuss with customers safety issues, answer questions, address concerns and challenge them to join Metro in its ongoing mission to create a safe transit environment.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
In 2005, construction will continue on the Anacostia Light Rail Demonstration Project. The District of Columbia Department of Transportation in cooperation with Metro, is constructing a six-station, 2.7-mile passenger rail demonstration project to serve Southeast, Washington. The light rail service, will use existing CSX right-of-way, and the service will extend along the east side of the Anacostia River between Bolling Air Force Base and Pennsylvania Avenue, near the John Phillip Sousa Memorial Bridge. Service is expected to begin in the fall of 2006.
In 2005, preliminary engineering work will continue on providing rail service to the Dulles Corridor. Metro is providing technical oversight under the direction of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is working with its PPTA Contractor, Dulles Transit Partners.
BLUE RIBBON REGIONAL PANEL ON DEDICATED FUNDING
Last fall, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), along with the Greater Washington Board of Trade (GWBOT) and the Federal City Council (FCC), appointed 13 experts to serve on a panel established to research funding options for Metro.
The panel was tasked to examine alternative sources of funding for Metro while it continues to face budget shortfalls. A draft report is now being issued and a final report is scheduled to be released to the public in early January. Metro intends to work proactively with the GWBOT and the FCC during 2005 to help advance the level of public understanding of the very important set of findings and recommendations.
Metro’s funding needs are outlined in the ’Time to Act’ brochure released by the Transportation Planning Board in February 2004. A separate report issued by the Brookings Institute in June 2004 titled ’Washington Metro: Deficits by Design,’ found that Metro’s unprecedented lack of dedicated funding sources necessitates an over-reliance on funding from state and local governments. METRO MATTERS
In October 2004, Metro adopted Metro Matters, an historic $3.3 billion, six-year capital program to fund Metro’s most urgent infrastructure priorities. Although the total 10-year capital program is estimated at $12 billion, the Metro Matters funding agreement will enable Metro to rehabilitate aging equipment and facilities, purchase 120 new railcars to introduce eight-car trains on one-third of its rush hour service, expand bus service to relieve overcrowding and to accommodate growing ridership, and further target-harden Metro’s assets against the threat of terrorism.
As part Metro Matters, the following infrastructure enhancements will occur in 2005:
Metro Matters Rail Program
Initiate procurement of 120 additional rail cars to support 33 percent eight-car train operations.
Continue maintenance and rail yard storage facility improvements.
Continue system improvements including traction power to accommodate eight-car trains.
Metro Matters Bus Program
Initiate procurement of up to 185 new buses for expanded service.
Design and construction of a new Metrobus maintenance facility.
Improve bus passenger information systems and bus stops.
"In 2005, we are going to be focused on improving customer service and reliability, and improving the way we provide customer service and outreach," said Mr. White. "Next year, we are going to work hard to regain the confidence of our customers and our regional stakeholders."
News release issued on December 21, 2004.