Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager John Catoe said his top three priorities for 2008 will continue to be safety, reliability and funding for the agency’s long-term capital needs.  

Catoe, who is marking his first year on the job, has instituted several programs to improve safety and reliability, as well as limiting debris fires and mechanical breakdowns, including an agency-wide safety improvement program that aims to cut the number of accidents and injuries in half within five years.  

Additionally, Catoe plans to present the transit agency’s 10-year capital program, which begins in 2010, to the board this spring. He estimates it will total more than $3 billion.