Federal officials are crafting uniform safety rules for Metro, other subways

“We think it’s a very safe industry,” APTA’s Mantill Williams said. “But at the same time, we’re open to making it safe and improving things.”

Metro officials said they welcome the additional oversight.

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“It’s important that nationally we all play by the same rules,” said Richard Sarles, Metro’s general manager.

After the 2009 crash, Metro and the TOC were subjected to intense federal scrutiny. A federal investigation identified significant flaws in the authority’s safety practices, including safety problems that went uncorrected for years, and lent urgency to the lawmakers’ campaign for federal oversight.

The investigation also found that, at the time of the crash, the TOC had no full-time employees and a structure that hampered its ability to make decisions quickly. Those conclusions were reinforced in a Washington Post investigation, which found that the group had no enforcement powers.

As a result of that scrutiny, Metro has already put into place some of the changes that probably will be called for under the new law.

“We are in the lead in many respects,” Sarles said.

Metro revised its safety training program for workers in 2010. The authority also has a chief safety officer who reports directly to Sarles.

Still, this summer, the transit agency was dogged by a series of events that raised questions about safety practices. After a problematic train evacuation in College Park, Metro revised its procedures for such a situation.

In the three years since the crash, regional leaders have taken steps to strengthen the role of TOC. The committee now has three full-time staff members, a Web site and an office. The region’s three top transportation officials meet quarterly to discuss Metro-related issues.

James J. Benton, chairman of TOC since 2010, said the relationship between the committee and Metro, once antagonistic, is now cooperative. Benton said the committee and WMATA officials have developed a regular system for reporting accidents or incidents of note.

Metro officials said they have worked aggressively to correct a long list of safety deficiencies dating to 2006. Last month, officials announced that WMATA had closed out five recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board, including two related to the fatal Red Line crash.

“For us, it’s safety first,” Sarles said.

LaHood endorses that idea.

“When somebody gets on Metro, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether the train is safe, whether the driver has received proper training,” he said. “Thankfully, now we’re going to have some kind of say in [how systems operate]. It’s something we take on very willingly.”