Metro News Release
For immediate release: September 15, 2005
Board preliminarily approves Riders Advisory Council
Metro Board members gave preliminary approval today to establishing a Riders Advisory Council. The formal body would allow passengers an unprecedented level of input as to how the agency manages bus, rail and MetroAccess service.
"It has been talked about over the course of a decade. I felt it was overdue to finally bring it to fruition,"said T. Dana Kauffman, Metro’s Board Chairman, who announced the Council as part of a series of customer-friendly initiatives this past February.
If approved by the full board next Thursday, September 22, the Council would be formed by the end of the year.
The Council would provide input from riders and public transit oriented organizations to Metro managers and the agency’s Board of Directors on a broad range of operational and budgetary issues.
Under the proposal, the group would be made up of 21 riders with six each from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. There would be two at-large seats and a third would be held by the head of Metro’s Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee. There would be a cross-section of bus, subway and MetroAccess riders in the group. The council would be made up of commuters, occasional riders and those who are transit dependent, but not Metro employees or elected officials. Members would serve staggered three-year terms and hold monthly public meetings.
The framework for the Council was laid out in July. Changes were made after the agency reviewed comments submitted by nearly 160 individuals and organizations during a 30-day long public comment period. The changes include, seeking input from public transit oriented organizations; a Council report at open board and committee meetings and adding three seats to the body. There are also changes to the selection process of the Council’s staff support position.
"When we put the proposed Riders Advisory Council policies and procedures out for public comment, we wanted to hear what our customers and stakeholders had to say, both good and bad," said Kauffman. "We received a lot of excellent comments, and as a result, we made several changes to what we originally proposed. We’ll have a better Council as a result of the input we received."
Interested riders may apply for council positions as early as the end of the month. Applications will be available on Metro’s Website, in the take-one boxes at rail station kiosks, on buses and MetroAccess vehicles and by calling 202-962-1034. Metro Board members from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia would select council members to represent their jurisdiction. The applications then will be forwarded to the full Board for approval.
The Council is part of a series of initiatives to improve communications with riders. The agency also has held more town hall meetings, provided e-mail contact for board members, added a public comment period to meetings and posted Board presentations on the Web site.
News release issued on September 15, 2005.