Rule Change Could Leave D.C. Schoolchildren Behind

Thousands of District schoolchildren might have a tough time getting to class because of a proposed tightening of federal transit rules that could force Metro to cut some bus service, General Manager John B. Catoe said yesterday.

Many of the District's nearly 50,000 public school students and some private school children rely on public transportation to get to and from school.

The Federal Transit Administration recently proposed a stricter interpretation of rules governing public transit for schoolchildren. Federal officials do not want publicly funded transit agencies to provide exclusive transportation for students because it could take business from private school bus operators.

The District school system does not have a regular school bus fleet. Metro operates extra bus service during school hours, including routes that operate only when school in session. Although the service is open to the general public, the proposed changes would require Metro to eliminate some routes because the service is designed to accommodate students and serves the nonstudent public only incidentally, Metro officials said. Officials said they did not know how many students would be affected.

The changes could be put into effect as early as August, Metro officials said, making it difficult for city and transportation officials to make arrangements before school starts late that month.

City and school officials are asking the FTA to consider amending the rules to make an exception for the District. An FTA spokesman said the agency does not expect the proposal to affect the coming school year.

Metro Workers Charged in Sex Sting

A Metro station manager and a Metro custodian were arrested on prostitution charges after an undercover transit police investigation found they had arranged sexual rendezvous for money from the Dupont Circle Metro station.

During the investigation, station manager Sharon Waters, 42, of Bowie, used the station's loudspeaker to page custodian Pam Goins, 45, of Capitol Heights, to arrange for sex for an undercover officer, according to court documents. Goins told the officer she would have sex with him for $200, agreed to meet in the officer's hotel room at a later date and "made numerous references to different sexual acts she wanted to perform," according to the documents. Both women have been charged with solicitation for prostitution.

Waters also showed the undercover officer a book containing nude and sexually explicit pictures of women from Brazil who she said were available on trips she scheduled and told him she was arranging a sex party at another location, where people would pay a $100 cover charge.

Goins was arrested June 19 at the Friendship Heights Metro station and found with $141 worth of stolen merchandise from Victoria's Secret, according to documents and officials. Goins, who had worked for Metro since 2002, has been fired, spokeswoman Cathy Asato said. Waters, an 18-year Metro employee, was arrested at Metro headquarters Tuesday. She is on administrative leave.

Three Employees Praised for Actions

Metro officials singled out three employees for commendation yesterday. Mechanic Stefan Petrowski was on board an Orange Line train that derailed two weeks ago and was the first person to realize that its wheels were off the track. Train operator Donnell Morina saw a heat-related kink in a track June 11 and stopped the train he was driving, preventing a possible derailment. Bus operator Christopher Depetris transported a man who had been shot to a train station and alerted police.