WMATA ignored suggestions made by the National Transportation Safety Board after a 1996 accident that could have prevented injuries in the recent collision on the Red Line. After a train operating by computer collided with an empty train on the Red Line during a snow storm in 1996, the NTSB suggested WMATA reinforce their cars to prevent “telescoping.”

The Post is clear in their story that the recommendation on reinforcing the Metro cars was one of many:

That recommendation was among 20 made by the NTSB, most of which Metro adopted. They included revising Metro’s operating manual, installing new software on trains and training more frequently with fire departments.

The 192 new rail cars are designed to better withstand crashes, but the remaining 760 don’t have the reinforcements. This 1996 testimony before the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee describes the 1996 accident in detail, and mentions the NTSB recommendations.

The accident seems to have also spurred the organization MetroRiders.org to spring into action. After their website launch in late September and little heard from them in the subsequent weeks, their official announcement last week was covered by the Post. In the story the Post reports the co-founders Kevin Moore and Jack Corbett have already met with WMATA chief executive Richard A. White. The article on the ignored NTSB recommendations quotes Jack Corbett calling for a review of Metro’s “financial, operational and safety problems by a panel of transit professionals from across the country.” WMATA is holding an open house Tuesday to solicit feedback from the public.

In related transit news, officials broke ground today on the Anacostia Light Rail project.