Metro News Release
For immediate release: September 23, 2010
Metro General Manager testifies on safety, reliability, financial stability progress
Enumerates actions to comply with NTSB recommendations
Dozens of actions have been taken to improve safety, reliability and financial stability for Metro and its riders and employees during the past six months, including fulfilling a commitment to follow through on each recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the June 22, 2009 train accident, Metro Interim General Manger Richard Sarles testified before Congress today (Sept. 23).
Sarles provided a detailed overview to the members of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia under the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on progress made on his six-month action plan that he unveiled in mid-May, as well as an update of work being done to address the NTSB’s recommendations. He originally unveiled his action plan to the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.
A full update on each of the actions taken was provided in his written testimony.
“At Metro, there is no higher value than safety,” Sarles said. “I want the subcommittee and our riders to know that we recognize that our long-term success depends on our ability to build a safety culture that is dedicated to prevention and continual improvement.”
To begin rebuilding the safety culture, Sarles reported that employee safety training has been expanded and launched at all levels of Metro, a hotline has been established, the whistleblower protection policy has been reinforced, a safety measurement system has been established and Metro’s Safety Department has been strengthened with a team that has more than 230 years of safety experience led by a new Chief Safety Officer, who reports directly to the General Manager.
Other safety actions achieved during the course of his six-month action plan include:
• Initiation of discussions with the largest Metro union on how to encourage reporting of near-misses without punitive consequences.
• Conducted a safety culture survey of employees, which 97 percent of the workforce completed.
• Included $6.9 million in the operating budget to address Federal Transit Administration audit recommendations;
• The Board established a $5 billion, six-year capital spending plan to ensure that needed equipment and infrastructure safety improvements can be made.
• The Board dedicated more than $30 million over the next three years in Metro’s capital budget to address recommendations received from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Sarles also updated the committee on steps being taken to respond to each of the NTSB recommendations associated with the June 22, 2009 accident. The Metro Board awarded a contract to satisfy the transit agency’s top safety priority to replace the 1000 series railcars, which was also a recommendation of the NTSB. Additional actions already taken to address other NTSB recommendations include the replacement of track circuit modules at 34 of 103 locations with plans to replace the remainder; twice-daily loss of shunt reviews; development of a cross-functional committee to develop procedures to improve internal communications; development of a plan to equip and maintain the 4000 and 1000 series cars with onboard event recorders; and retention of an independent firm to perform a rigorous safety analysis of the automatic train control system.
With respect to recommendations Metro has received from safety oversight agencies, Metro “has worked closely with the Tri-State Oversight Committee to develop corrective action plans (CAPs) in response to findings from both external and internal audits and investigations with 223 CAPs having been closed since 2004 and 33 remaining open. Continuing to close CAPs is a top priority,” Sarles told the subcommittee.
Metro also has responded to address all of its FTA audit findings, which were labeled as “open acceptable” by FTA officials, which means the FTA reviewed and accepted the proposed actions.
The general manager’s oral testimony and written testimony are both posted online.
News release issued at 5:30 pm, September 23, 2010.