With New WMATA Leadership in Place, Norton Wants FTA to Modify Financial Restrictions That Could Lead to a Fare Increase

Norton Hopes FTA Works with WMATA to Show Some Safety Reforms by End of Year

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), ranking member of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, along with some members of the House's Virginia delegation, today met with incoming Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager Paul Wiedefeld. Norton said she was encouraged by Mr. Wiedefeld's agenda to begin addressing the transit agency's safety and fiscal challenges. Norton told Mr. Wiedefeld that it is particularly important that WMATA fully embrace the congressional language Norton got included in the recently-passed Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 to allow the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to provide direct federal safety oversight of the transit agency's Metrorail system. Norton suggested that WMATA and FTA officials hold a joint press conference to show that they are working collaboratively to improve Metrorail's safety. Norton also said that as part of FTA's safety oversight of WMATA, FTA has published an online table that lists the safety actions FTA has required WMATA to meet, the required action's estimated completion date, and the required action's status. FTA will update the tracking table bi-monthly.

"As Mr. Wiedefeld takes office on November 30, I believe his most important mission is to restore confidence among Metro riders, who are leaving Metro at a time when WMATA needs them most," Norton said. "The two major concerns this past year for WMATA have been safety and financial reform. I hope Mr. Wiedefeld will be able to convince FTA that he wants to work with FTA to accomplish some immediate safety reforms, and that he and FTA will be able to announce at least some of those actions before the end of the year. To avoid a fare increase, the next thing he needs from FTA is relief from FTA requirements that WMATA do its financial reimbursements by hand rather than electronically. While FTA was right to require manual processing of reimbursements given the shabby state of WMATA's finances 18 months ago, WMATA has since brought in an entirely new financial team and implemented new budget controls based on FTA's recommendations. FTA restrictions on WMATA reimbursements have already forced WMATA to get several short-term lines of credit, incurring significant interest payments and digging WMATA deeper into financial trouble. By depriving WMATA of same-day reimbursements, FTA is guaranteeing a fare increase for Metro. FTA owes it to the new General Manager to look closely at the budget controls WMATA has put in place and move toward tight but appropriate monitoring that does not make WMATA's shaky financial position worse."