Photo by Samer Farha

Big breaking news this afternoon: WMATA general manager John Catoe has tendered his resignation, effective April 2. According to the Washington Post’s Lena Sun, Catoe announced his decision to resign after a special board meeting this morning, saying that it would allow the transit agency to “move beyond distractions.” Stay tuned for more.

1:40 p.m. WMATA spokesperson Ron Holzer confirms Catoe’s resignation, and says an official statement is coming from the transit agency shortly. The move comes less than a day after Catoe met with a group of local bloggers to take questions about mounting frustration with the safety and reliability of the transit system, for which DCist Editor Sommer Mathis was on hand. She’ll have some more thoughts on this surprise announcement shortly.

1:47 p.m. Here’s the statement from Catoe:

“I have decided that it is time for me to channel my future in new directions and provide this organization an opportunity to move beyond the current distractions,” Catoe said. “Good leaders know how to impact change. Great leaders know when it’s time for leadership change. I hope I fall into the latter category.”

WMATA Board Chairman Jim Graham made the following remarks after Catoe informed the board of his decision:

“The Board of Directors has just been informed of General Manager Catoe’s decision to retire. We appreciate his stewardship during this difficult time and we will miss his leadership. While we regret his decision, he continues to have the full confidence of the Board of Directors. We will shortly begin the deliberative process on transition and succession.”