Metro News Release
For immediate release: January 13, 2011
Metro's Program Management Speeds Investment in Safety and Reliability
New Process Will Put Agency on Track with Peer Agencies
The overhaul of Metro’s new capital improvement program information systems, management and implementation schedule are positioning Metro to advance 140 projects to improve the safety and reliability of the now aging infrastructure and fleet; and is projected to put the agency on track with peer agencies in terms of capital spending performance over the life of the program.
“In this time of scarce resources and great needs, Metro is working to ensure that our capital dollars are spent as quickly as possible on safety and reliability improvements and these process improvements do just that,” said Board Finance Committee Chair Catherine Hudgins. “Customers are seeing the fruits of these investments, for example, with the work being performed over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend.”
Metro is investing $5 billion over six years in safety and state of good repair needs on the system. The first priority of the program is addressing all of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations, as well as improvements proposed by the Federal Transit Administration and independent assessors.
The FY2012 annual work program is budgeted for vital state of good repair projects including the rehabilitation of infrastructure and rolling stock modernization. The program invests a total of approximately $851 million in FY2012 to ensure safety and improve reliability including:
• Initiating the contract to build new railcars to replace the 1000 series
• Installing 30 turnouts, 15,000 direct fixation fasteners, and 8,000 cross ties
• Retrofitting 2,700 feet of track floating slabs
• Rehabilitating 5,000 feet of track pads and shock absorbers
• Rehabilitating 5 miles of third rail
• Rehabilitating 10 miles of running rail
• Installing 50,000 track fasteners and anchor bolts
• Track circuit replacements
• Rehabilitating 12 Metrorail stations
• Replacing 100 buses and rehabilitating 100 more
“The nuts and bolts of system safety and rehabilitation depends on aggressive capital program management which we now have in place,” said General Manager Richard Sarles. “We brought in professional support to rebuild the program and we are now putting the tools and resources in place that will allow our staff to advance these vital projects.”
In an update to the Board Finance Committee today (Jan. 13), Metro’s consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), reported that Metro spent nearly half of the $158 million first quarter forecast through September 30, 2010. Through November 2010, Metro has obligated $546 million or 65 percent of its FY2012 capital budget. In addition, PB has identified opportunities for Metro to recover from expenditure under-runs, including projects such as the Red Line rehabilitation project. Through the addition of temporary support staff, such as Assistant Project Managers, Construction Administrators, Inspectors and Construction Technicians, Metro is beginning to implement proactive mitigation measures to improve project spending performance.
News release issued at 12:33 pm, January 13, 2011.