Tangherlini Tapped to Become Fenty's No. 2

Leaving Metro, Entering Politics

Mayoral candidate Adrian M. Fenty and interim Metro head Dan Tangherlini announced Monday that Tangherlini will become the District's city administrator if Fenty is elected mayor and that he is withdrawing his name as a candidate to head Metro.

Read More: Fenty Taps Metro Chief as D.C. Administrator ( Post, Oct. 2 )

Tangherlini was online Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss his departure from Metro and his jump into politics.

A transcript follows.

____________________

Dan Tangherlini: Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to your questions and comments.

_______________________

Bowie, Md.: Do you feel like you let the Metro employees down? When you came aboard Metro, there was a lot of hype over you stopping by and visiting all the Metro locations while slapping backs and shaking hands. Those people actually felt like the tide was turning and things were going to get better. So much promise, and now, you're up and outta there before making any sort of impact.

Dan Tangherlini: I am going to start here because, frankly, this is the toughest question of the bunch -- so far. I didn't make this decision lightly. It is really a great opportunity to carry the spirit of employee/customer involvement to another level. However, I have been deeply impressed by the employees here at Metro. They have given me excellent suggestions and a lot of support. I feel terrible if my decision let anyone down, but I do think that my new position will help me to "make it up" by allowing me to influence WMATA from the jurisdictional sponsor side. Remember, the Mayor gets two appointees to the Board, and I plan to stay in close touch with them.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Can you give us an update on when we will start seeing the newest rail cars on the line? Things seem to be a bit less crowded lately, but obviously the more cars we have in operation the better.

Dan Tangherlini: I just got off the first 6-car train comprised entirely of new (6000 series) railcars. They are smooth and quiet and the operator I spent some of the ride with in the cab LOVED it. We should have at least 50 by December, allowing us to get to nearly 20% 8-car trains and get rid of half of our 4-car trains. And there are more on the way...

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Congratulations! Moving from Metro, a regional organization, to be the next D.C. City Administrator, to what extent will you keep a regional perspective while performing your new duties? You have worked closely with the Greater Washington Board of Trade in the past. Will this continue? Best wishes on your new job but very sorry to see you leave Metro.

Dan Tangherlini: Absolutely. The only way this region can thrive is by working together. We compete nationally and globally. We need to stop competing against ourselves. I like to point out that if you want proof that this region can work together and achieve great things you need not go further than one of our 86 Monuments to Regional Cooperation - we call them Metro stations.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Dan-

One of the great assets you brought to Metro was your ability to connect with the riders. They saw you as one of them. Will the Board be able to find a new manager with this quality? Does the Board even realize how inportant this is in a manager?

Dan Tangherlini: I think the Board recognizes those qualities as key to doing this job successfully.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Lately, national economic trends are leading the housing sector downward because increased interest rates. The last similar period D.C. endured was in the early years of the Sharon Pratt Kelly administration, when D.C. tax revenues fell due to housing sector declines. How would a Fenty administration react to this situation if it reoccurs?

Dan Tangherlini: It's a good question, but I think the best way to react is to recognize it and take action as you see signs of softening.

_______________________

Fairfax, Va.: Hi Dan. If anything, I think the Metro board let you down. It's a shame that your position got held hostage by inter-jurisdictional polictics. Metro lost out on a talented administrator that could have gone a long way toward restoring the financial stability it so needs. My questions is: what element or function of D.C. government do you most look forward to tackling as City Administrator?

Dan Tangherlini: I look forward to the whole project. Just as much as I have enjoyed this job.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hi Dan, This is Gabe Klein from Zipcar. First off, congratulations on the job. I think the city needs you. WMATA does too, but in my mind, some discipline, process and fiscal responsibility needs to be introduced to many of the city agencies urgently. I think your business viewpoint and focus on customer service for the residents will be a breath of fresh air.

My question though, is, how much did the WMATA funding issues, specifically the lack of funding and movement on that front in this years general assembly (Virginia specifically) contribute to your decision to make this move?

Dan Tangherlini: Not at all. I knew there would be funding issues coming in. If you read Zach Schragg's book, "The Great Society Subway" you would realize that the history of Metro is a history of funding problems! But it is a proud and significant history nonetheless. $10 billion in investment spawned $25 billion in development - a pretty darned good ROI.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Mr. Tangherlini, thank you for doing this forum today. Will you bring the same open-mindedness and creative problem solving abilities to city governemnt? And more importantly, will you still listen to community concerns as you did while at Metro?

Dan Tangherlini: I hope to. Community involvement and customer involvement are the same thing and both serve anyone in a position of this sort extremely well.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I applaud the improvements big and small you have made to Metro. I do hope before you go that you can figure out why tourists insist on using the "handicapped" lane only to enter and exit Metro.

Dan Tangherlini: I think its a nice big entrance, and so people unfamiliar with the system naturally shoot for it. I am interested in doing more to make our system more user friendly for the infrequent user. I think our roll-out yesterday of SmarTrip Only lanes is a step in the right direction for people who have places to get to quickly.

_______________________

College Park, Md.: I know the newer Metro cars with fewer places for sitting passegers are popular in the city but for suburban riders who may have to stand for up to an hour they're a pain in the foot and legs; what do you say to somebody like me who simply cannot stand for that long on his way to work but who'd like to ride Metro rather than drive?

Dan Tangherlini: We want you to take Metro, but we also have to strike a balance between those who want seats and those who just want to get on. If you have a physical limitation that makes it necessary for you to sit during your trip, we do have the priority seating. Don't be shy about asking someone for a seat. I've found Metro riders to generally be considerate - if approached.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Congratulations on your new position. I realize you are leaving Metro, but I have a question about Metro. On the WP transit chats and from customer service complaints, Metro is aware of many complaints that appear that they could be cheaply and easily addressed: putting up signs when the second in a series of escalators is out of service; having buses pull to the curb when space is available; putting up no smoking signs (and removing ashtrays from non-smoking areas); having clear, accurate announcements (I don't know what 'service disruption' means -- just say EXACTLY what the issue is); better communication; and did I mention better communication? Yet these have not been addressed. Did you attempt to address these during your tenure? Why haven't they been addressed?

Dan Tangherlini: I believe we have been working on many of these suggestions, but there is plenty of work that needs to be done. I believe the creation of the Riders' Advisory Council is a major ste p forward toward making the system more accountable, responsive and user friendly.

_______________________

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: From your experience as interim Metro head, what do you think is the likelihood or necessity that the Blue and Yellow Lines through the District will eventually need to be run on separate track systems? Are there any feasibility studies on Metro's drawing board looking at such a possibility?

Dan Tangherlini: Hmmm. The blue and yellow lines DO run on separate track systems in the District. Actually, we are exploring separating every other blue line train from the orange line at peak and running them, instead, on the yellow line. It's called the Blue Line split and will be discussed with the Board in the next few months, so stay tuned.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.: On a number of occasions I have noticed the customer ahead of me touching their SmarTrip card against the reader, and receiving a "touch SmarTrip card again" message, or a "see station manager" message. But becuase the gate opens, they don't notice, and move on through. Do they get stopped on the other end?

Dan Tangherlini: Employee cards create that reading. Otherwise, they may or may not depending on what happened. I think it's a fair rule that if the gate opens, you can go.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: When will metro open up wireless phone service to all, or more, providers?

Delighted you will be the new city administrator. I think Bob Bobb did a great job and I hope you follow in his footsteps.

Dan Tangherlini: We are working on getting all the providers in right now. I think that is a very important issue. But we also want to make sure we get the technology right, so it works.

As for Mr. Bobb's footsteps, I don't HAVE cowboy boots! But I think he makes an excellent role model. If the boots help, I'll get some.

_______________________

Fairfax, Va.: Since you going to the District government is contingent on Fenty winning, why mention it now and let the news out? Does it give the appearance of getting votes for Fenty because of your good rep? So is it all a political move? Why not just sit on it and not say anything until and if Fenty wins?

Dan Tangherlini: I wanted to make sure that the Board could make a decision on the search candidates with all the information.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Just wanted to tell you what a difference you had made in your brief tenure as interim chief. I remember when a major incident happened on one of the lines in the a.m., you were online at noon taking questions.

That said, is the Board still going to enact some of your suggestions, better customer service and accountability, and music inside stations?

Thanks, and the Metro will miss you.

Dan Tangherlini: I think the Board shares all those interests. For the most part I was simply moving forward their agenda, the agenda of our riders (and the RAC) and the ideas of our employees. I believe that will continue.

_______________________

Orange Line Rider: Dan, please tell me there won't be any single-tracking when the extensions to Tysons, Dulles and other places are done! With all that room and Metro's vast experience with the horrors of single-tracking, there's no excuse for that to be the case now. I can't fathom sitting for two hours in Herndon because of a single-tracking issue Tyson's Corner. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever not to allow each train to run on its own line.

Dan Tangherlini: I can think of a few hundreds of millions of reasons. Look at the aerial versus tunnel debate.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.: Why doesn't Metro have system maps on ALL platforms? At Silver Spring and Braddock Road, for two, once you go up the escalator you can't find a map or times or fares any more.

Dan Tangherlini: We are installing bus maps at every rail station - so that's an extra map for you. However, I will look into the two stations you mention.

_______________________

D.C. Resident Traveler: Where are the bathrooms at Metro stations and do you have to be in an emergency situation in order to be able to use them? Are they at every station?

Dan Tangherlini: There are two stations where bathrooms are off-limits for safety and/or security reasons. The other 84 station bathrooms can be accessed by asking the station manager to let you in.

_______________________

Chevy Chase: Mr. Tangherlini, I just wanted to comment on how smoothly Metro operated on Sunday! I went to the Nationals game with my Metro-phobic mother in tow, who had nightmares of hordes of sports fans crowding the system and whatnot. To my delight and her surprise, the trains ran smoothly, there were 8-car trains from RFK, and not once did we get stuck in a tunnel, which my mother is eternally grateful for. I hope that what you've instilled at Metro will carry over and even my mom will become a willing metro rider.

Dan Tangherlini: We welcome your mom to keep riding - in fact she may qualify for our elderly and disabled discounts. Check out our website: Metroopensdoors.com. I think she will find that our new low-floor buses are convenient too.

_______________________

wasihingtonpost.com: WMATA (Metro)

_______________________

Dan Tangherlini: Thanks for joining in, I am going to take a look at all the questions I didn't answer. I'll admit I didn't really take on too many of the city questions - I am still the Metro Interim General Manager and the election hasn't happened yet. In the meantime, thanks for your continued support - and ridership - of Metro!

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.