Two Top Managers To Be Replaced In Metro Shakeup

Yesterday was Friday, so it's probably safe to assume that once 5 p.m. rolled around without any sign of the "very substantial management changes at Metro" promised by Metro Board Chairman Jim Graham, you all thought it was safe to take off, grab a beer, and deal with it on Monday.

Oh, but those crafty WMATA folks -- they knew we weren't paying attention.

Late last night, Metro General Manager John Catoe sent a memo to the Metro board notifying them that Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis and Chief Safety Officer Alexa Dupigny-Samuels would both resign from their posts, according to a report from the Washington Post. Francis will be leaving his post in March (for a job in the private sector, according to the Post's sources), while Dupigny-Samuels will remain with the agency in some yet-to-be-determined capacity.

As the person "responsible for safety and reliability" of Metro, it's hardly a shock that Francis -- Catoe's right-hand man, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the transit system -- is hitting the chopping block. Dupigny-Samuels, as you might recall, has been in the news frequently of late -- she is one of the key figures in the controversy regarding safety oversight inspectors' inability to access Metro tracks. Dupigny-Samuels also recently found herself under wider supervision from Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn after numerous complaints.

General manager John Catoe will assume some of Francis' duties, in what certainly will be his last chance to right Metro's ship in light of fervent public criticism. Many are likely wondering how Catoe escaped the swinging blade in light of Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski's scathing comments on Thursday -- but Graham told WTOP that the general manager "feels that [WMATA] really need a new set of talent in order to move ahead from here." Graham also insisted that Catoe was "unaware" of the safety inspector controversy.

Metrorail was not the only division of WMATA affected; Metrobus Assistant General Manager of Bus Operations Milo Victoria will also step down. Several disturbing bus safety incidents occurred during Victoria's nearly two-and-a-half year spell as bus chief.