Making Metrobus Safe

In response to the rash of recent collisions between Metrobuses and pedestrians, Metro’s general manager John Catoe has responded by announcing that all Metrobus drivers would be required to retake 1-2 days of pedestrian safety training. Metrobus supervisors began meeting with drivers to reiterate the responsibility to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Reminders have been posted at all bus facilities, and an official notice emphasizing pedestrian safety was issued to drivers.

If this list left you thinking, “That’s all?,” you are not alone.

Imperiled pedestrian safety is a symptom of a larger problem at Metrobus. There are many skilled drivers who operate safely every day. However, any regular bus passenger, pedestrian, cyclist, or driver will tell you that aggressive driving is widespread among Metro’s bus drivers. While the cause of such habits are unclear, simply reminding those who pilot thousands of pounds of steel around the city to be safer is far from adequate, no matter how many times it is done. Metro must fight this culture of poor driving among its ranks in more creative and proactive ways.

First, Metro should work to identify poor driving early and hold operators more generally accountable for their driving habits. Though Metro encourages riders to report unacceptable behavior such as aggressive driving or bus bunching via its website, this complaint system is neither transparent nor accessible. Riders who file a complaint receive no indication that their information was acted upon. Riders should be able to follow up and track their complaints to see what, if any, actions have been taken. Metro should summarize complaints received and disciplinary actions taken, and publicly release these statistics. Also, each bus’s 4-digit identification number should be more prominently displayed inside the vehicle for passengers to note.

Second, Metro must more aggressively police itself. Rather than relying solely on riders to report poor driving, Metro should also employ quality control officials. These officials would ride along with every driver, unannounced and unidentified, at least once a month, to observe driving behavior and identify problems. Most drivers would likely drive more carefully if there was a chance they were being observed, and those that did not change aggressive behavior would be identified.

Finally, there must be consequences for drivers with habits that are aggressive and dangerous, or generally not conducive to good service. Positive consequences such as bonuses, extra paid leave, more desirable shifts, and schedule flexibility would reinforce a record of good, safe service. Retraining, reprimand, lower salary increases, docked pay, and forced unpaid leave could all act as effective negative consequences for various infractions, in addition to traffic tickets or other legal repercussions.

Metro’s responsibility to ensure the safety of pedestrians and others on District roads extends beyond its own civil, criminal, and moral liability. City buses are essential to District life, filling a crucial roll in our transit system. We see Metrobuses everyday, and many of us ride them just as often. Without them, Washington would lose a valuable mobility option that many rely upon as their main form of transportation. Indeed, Metro's new general manager was hired because of his experience running a far more extensive bus system in Los Angeles, and his promise to put Metrobus on par with Metrorail in terms of reliability and service quality.

The innovative new service ideas Catoe has offered are certainly worthwhile; Washington D.C. deserves a better bus system than the one it has. However, any such effort will be in vain if residents of this city cannot have faith in the single most important feature of any transportation service - it's ability to operate safely.