Norton Says “Big Four” Surface Transportation Bill Passed Today with New Funding and Federal Safety Oversight Will Help New WMATA General Manager with Agency’s Challenges

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), ranking member of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee and a member of the "Big Four" transportation leaders that introduced the six-year surface transportation bill that passed the House today, released the following statement after the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) Board named Paul Wiedefeld as the agency's new General Manager and Chief Executive Officer.

"A fair amount of what has plagued WMATA has been that the transit agency has been without leadership for nearly 10 months until today. Having an actual leader in place will provide WMATA with much-needed stability and certainty. Mr. Wiedefeld will take office just as we have passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 today in the House. Besides providing desperately needed funding, our bill contains the PROMPT Act, which allows direct federal oversight of WMATA by the Federal Transit Administration until the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland have had the time to develop a state safety oversight agency certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary. We believe these actions will give the new General Manager the tools most needed to begin a new chapter for WMATA.

"The transit agency should be strengthened by Mr. Wiedefeld's combination of public and private sector experience, both of which have been close to home. His service as Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration, a major multi-model transit system that has many similarities to WMATA, and his operational experience as CEO of the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport mean he has succeeded in the eye of the storm. Mr. Wiedefeld's experience in increasing operational efficiency, improving customer service, addressing passenger concerns and safety, contracting with vendors, and overseeing the largest expansion in BWI's history will prepare him as WMATA works to ensure passenger safety, implement its new fleet of 7000 series cars, and manage the upcoming expansion of the Silver Line toward Dulles Airport."