Norton Questions DOT Secretary Foxx on Rail Safety Following January 12 WMATA Accident
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's (T&I) Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, today questioned Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx about why the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Safety Office, which was given new authority to regulate transit safety following the tragic 2009 Metro accident that took the lives of 9 D.C. area residents, remains understaffed today, how many states have set up and fully staffed State Safety Oversight agencies, and when he expects the FTA Safety Office to be fully staffed. The FTA Safety Office has the primary oversight of state safety committees. MAP-21, the current surface transportation authorization bill, passed in 2012, authorized the first federal regulation of transit systems like Metro, although all other forms of transportation, such as railroads and airlines, have long been regulated, particularly for safety along with other regulations. In light of the recent fatal Metro incident, Norton urged Foxx to fully staff FTA's Safety Office and send information on the startup of the State Safety Oversight agencies, which must meet standards set by MAP-21.
Secretary Foxx said the FTA has been "staffing up steadily since MAP-21 gave us that responsibility," and will provide Norton's office and the T&I Committee more detail on their ramp-up plan and the current staffing levels for the State Safety Oversight agencies. He added that more than 20 staff members joined FTA last year to help with transit safety oversight activities.