Catoe Outlines Service Goals
Improved Safety, Reliability Among Targets for This Year

By Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 28, 2008

Metro leaders agreed yesterday to an ambitious plan spelling out goals that, if met, would mean improved bus, rail and MetroAccess service this year.

The agency's board approved the proposal drawn up by General Manager John B. Catoe Jr., which outlines strategies for improvements in five areas: safety, service reliability, customer communication, financial management and employee recruitment. With its approval, the board is publicly establishing the standard to which the transit agency expects to be held this year.

By the end of the year, Metro wants to exceed the benchmark of having 95 percent of all trains run on schedule, reduce by 10 percent the number of times riders have to get off trains that have broken down, install overhead grab handles in 25 percent of the rail fleet and add express bus service in at least two major corridors. The agency is also considering scheduling more rail maintenance work at night and less on weekends to minimize disruption to riders.

"These strategies are something we can hold ourselves to and, at the same time, ensure that the entire organization is moving in the same direction," said Metro board Chairman Chris Zimmerman, who represents Arlington County. "It's very significant for those inside and outside the agency to know what we are collectively trying to do."

Overall on-time performance for rail improved after a 17-month decline but is not at 95 percent, according to Metro data. Performance improved from 89 percent in November to 92 percent in January.

Other goals include adding 65 vehicles to the MetroAccess fleet and beginning door-to-door service, reducing the instances of late buses by 10 percent and deploying 20 additional officers to high-visibility locations in the bus and rail system.

Catoe also presented the board with a 44-item list detailing $489 million in urgent repairs needed for safe and reliable operation, half of which must be done in the next two years. The repairs are not funded in Metro's capital budget, and Catoe plans to detail his funding strategy this spring.

Among projects on the repair list are replacing wooden track ties and track fasteners, overhauling crumbling station platforms and upgrading power equipment to allow for more eight-car trains.

By the end of June, Metro will have finished the power upgrades necessary to run every third train with eight cars instead of six on all lines during rush hour, said Dave Couch, head of capital projects.

Rail chief Dave Kubicek said that the agency will have enough rail cars to do so only on the Green and Red lines but that it hopes to increase capacity.

Metro is the only major transit system in the country that does not have a significant source of dedicated funding. A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) pending in Congress would set aside $1.5 billion in federal money over 10 years for Metro, to be matched by Virginia, Maryland and the District. The jurisdictions have identified their share, but the bill has been held up in the Senate because of a hold by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).