News Highlight

Metrorail Safety Commission marks new milestone

Mar 21, 2018
MSC_first_meeting2

Metrorail Safety Commission inaugural board meeting.

The Metrorail Safety Commission (MSC), the new, independent body that will be responsible for safety oversight of the Metrorail system, held its inaugural board meeting on March 13. COG, which hosted the gathering in its Walter A. Scheiber Board Room, has continued to help the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia establish the commission.

At the start of the meeting, the commissioners were officially seated after confirming they had been sworn in by their respective jurisdictions. The commissioners then took several actions, including the adoption of bylaws as well as policies on conflicts of interest, open meetings, and the Freedom of Information Act. The MSC Board also designated Allison Fultz of Kaplan, Kirsch, Rockwell, which has been providing legal support, as Acting Secretary until the commission elects someone for that position.

Moving forward, the commissioners have set an aggressive schedule to stand up the MSC and are focused on hiring an executive director and staffing the commission. Staff members from the District, Maryland, and Virginia, with assistance from COG, have been working on developing documents and completing the work required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to certify the commission as the new State Safety Oversight agency for Metro. Officials anticipate the MSC will submit the required certification documents to the FTA ahead of a September 30 deadline. 

The MSC will have the power to order immediate corrective safety actions, investigate hazards and accidents, and issue fines once it assumes safety oversight of Metro from the FTA. Certification will also release transit dollars currently being withheld from the states by FTA for not meeting an earlier deadline.

The commission was created last year after the District, Maryland, and Virginia enacted identical legislation and the president signed a congressional resolution allowing the jurisdictions to enter into an interstate compact.
 

Metrorail Safety Commission Board

District of Columbia

  • Robert Bobb
  • Christopher Hart
  • Chris Geldart (alternate)

Maryland

  • Debra Farrar-Dyke
  • Howard Roberts
  • John Contestabile (alternate)

Virginia

  • Greg Hull
  • Mark V. Rosenker
  • TBD (alternate)  
Contact: Steve Kania
Phone: (202) 962-3249
Back to news

Related News

  • decDMVMoves_(1)
    News Release

    DMVMoves Task Force considers transit funding scenarios

    December 2, 2024

    The DMVMoves Task Force considered transit funding scenarios that have been elevated to the group based on months of meetings and discussions from DMVMoves...

  • Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay
    News Release

    DMVMoves: Momentum builds toward new regional coordination on transit

    September 23, 2024

    At the DMVMoves Task Force meeting, area officials took another step forward in their effort to create a unified vision and sustainable funding model for the...

  • (Web)_Think_Regionally
    News Highlight

    Podcast: Strengthening regional transit through DMVMoves

    July 19, 2024

    On this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with COG Executive Director Clark Mercer and WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke about...