The threat came just days after Metro officials announced a yearlong plan to overhaul the ailing subway system and two days after a third-rail explosion had thrown metal shards onto the platform at the Federal Center station.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Transit Administration has threatened to withhold funding from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) and shut it down if it does not comply with safety directives issued by both the FTA and the National Transportation Safety Board, The Washington Times reports.
The threat came just days after Metro officials announced a yearlong plan to overhaul the ailing subway system and two days after a third-rail explosion had thrown metal shards onto the platform at the Federal Center station.
According to documents, the FTA directives require Metro to quickly make four fixes to its culture: regard safety as more important than operational convenience, reduce the risk of fire and smoke, improve emergency preparedness and increase training for Metro workers via a “safety standdown.”
Failure to comply would result in the federal agency withholding 25% of Metro’s federal funds, along with “issuing restrictions, closures or prohibitions on service as necessary.” The FTA assumed oversight of Metro safety in October. For the full story, click here.
Premiums remain elevated. Underwriting scrutiny is intense. And claims costs continue to rise at historic levels. Behind those numbers lies a complex mix of legal, medical, and cultural forces reshaping the commercial landscape.
The company said it has remained the most widely purchased model in the new coach market across the US and Canada, according to historical data from the Motorcoach Builders Survey conducted by the American Bus Association
A phased approach to technology, in-house capabilities, and workforce investment is helping transportation leaders break the reactive cycle and build more resilient, revenue-focused operations.
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METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman spoke with Mueller about the opening event, the company’s progress since launching in late 2022, and the road ahead.
METRO Executive Editor Alex Roman presented the award to the operation’s President/CEO Scott Parsons at the United Motorcoach Association’s EXPO in Birmingham, Alabama.
