January 31, 2008
Transit on Thursday: Mo' Money Edition
Metro General Manager John Catoe held a roundtable with the press yesterday morning to take a look back at his first year as the city's top transit official. Both the Washington Post and the Examiner went with ledes focusing on the amount Catoe said Metro needs immediately, between $125 million and $150 million, for repairs to tracks, power stations and platforms. Catoe told reporters that Metro doesn't have the money to make these crucial repairs, and that he plans to present the agency's capital needs to the Metro board next month in order to review options for funding them.
WTOP concentrated more on Catoe's focus on safety in his first year, given the number of passenger and employee deaths that had occurred just before he took over Metro. Catoe also said that reliability will be the major focus of his second year, and that he has made fixing brakes and doors on some older model rail cars a top priority.
Catoe is hosting a live chat right now Friday at noon on WMATA's web site for passengers who'd like to direct questions to the General Manager.
Photo by Eye Captain
Metro Opens New Career Center: Thinking about giving that desk job for an exiting opportunity in public transportation? Metro has opened a new Career Center featuring online workstations and live professional support for people wishing to apply for jobs with the transit agency.
The Career Center is located at the lobby level of Metro’s headquarters at 600 5th Street NW. Metro Career Center employees are available to assist applicants from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Dulles Rail Victim of Bush Administration? There's plenty of blame to go around in the rapidly disintegrating Dulles Rail project, but on Wednesday the Associated Press quoted transit industry leaders who were suspicious that a Bush administration bias against public transportation is the reason the deal has started falling apart. Va. Rep. Jim Moran seems to agree, as he gave WTOP an earful blaming what looks to be the demise of the plan on "both political as well as budgetary reasons" on the part of the Bush administration.
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WMATA is a mess. It's the twin of DC -- both have the need for massive amounts of capital projects to modernize infrastructure. Neither has the money to do so.
The chat is tomorrow at noon.
Whoops thanks. Apparently I'm having one of those days where I can't remember what day of the week it is.
oh my. for jim moran to pin blame on the bush administration or the feds for dulles rail's failure to launch ignores some really big gorillas in the room, namely, wmata's glaring inabilities to adequately manage existing infrastructure and ensure minimal cost overrun. reasons for its failures are many and varied, but that is to blame for the project's end, not budgets nor politics.
"wmata's glaring inabilities to adequately manage existing infrastructure and ensure minimal cost overrun."
Except this makes little sense when you look at the big picture. WMATA infrastructure is generally in good condition. There have been increases in infrastructure-related problems, but I don't think it rises to the level that FTA claims. The main reason for infrastructure problems is the lack of dedicated and sustained funding. Furthermore, many (if not most) transit systems have similar issues, and they have not been subject to the same scrutiny.
Also, WMATA is not managing the expansion. How many times does it have to be repeated?
Then again, with a name like metrosucks, it's not like you have a bias or anything, right?
of course i have a bias, forged after years of having to endure increasingly crappy metro service.
yes, wmata infrastructure is generally in good condition now. but wmata is seeking out $150 mil for immediate repairs that include basic things like keeping rails secured to the track bed. that tells me wmata is unable to keep up maintenance schedules on the most fundamental parts of the system and increased ridership will only increase wear and strain on the infrastructure.
wmata may not be managing the extention itself, but with trains originating in the existing wmata system, wmata's management failures are not only relevant, but controlling. what's the proposed increase in ridership if there's a dulles extention? more than the three percent increase it could barely handle last year, i can assure you.
"but wmata is seeking out $150 mil for immediate repairs that include basic things like keeping rails secured to the track bed. that tells me wmata is unable to keep up maintenance schedules on the most fundamental parts of the system"
It doesn't tell you that. You've assumed it, based on your vast railroad experience. All railroads need to be replaced over time, just like all roads need to be milled and repaved. The clips are approaching their end of life, and it's time to replace them. There is no periodic maintenance for this type of infrastructure. You use them until they're old, then you replace them. Since they were generally all installed at the same time, it makes sense to replace them all at the same time.
The fact that they don't currently have money for this maintenance does not mean they're unable to keep up maintenance schedules. It means that they don't have a sustained and dedicated funding source.
one simply cannot ignore the fact that wmata needs to make *immediate* repairs on worn fasteners and crumbling platforms. these are basic repairs and replacements and should have never risen to the level of immediate in the first place. well-run transit authorities make basic repairs and replacements before it's absolutely necessary right now, which is what 'immediate' implies, in order to maintain a safe and healthy infrastructure. they do so even at the expense of aesthetic improvements or less functional improvements like, say, station entrance canopies. what if the metal in those fasteners is a bit more fatigued than wmata figures?
yes, if wmata had a dedicated funding source, maybe it would have the money it needs now.
perhaps if wmata had not botched oversight of railcar production and escalator rehabiliation to the tune of over $500 mil, it would have the money it needs now.
wmata simply cannot be trusted to adequately and effectively manage major projects.
If WMATA had a stable revenue source, you know, like every other major transit agency in the country, they'd be better able to plan for and implement capital improvements like this, nor would they be in a crunch every year and have to raise the specter of increased fares all the time.
As it is, they have to beg each and every year to their constituent jurisdictions. I don't see how this is any different - Catoe's just getting the word out early.