Metro says it will restore regular weekday bus service starting Feb. 7, as its employees recover from the omicron wave.

Riders may see some improvement before then, too. Metro will “strategically deploy additional buses when possible” on particularly busy routes.

The bus system had been running on a “Saturday” schedule every day since Jan. 10 due to a shortage of bus operators. Saturday schedules represent only about 75% of regular weekday service and not all routes run. Earlier this month, riders reported buses not showing up and kids being stranded, which is apparently still happening this week.

Transit agencies across the region have faced similar shortages and have reduced schedules.

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld says more than 1,500 WMATA employees have missed work because of COVID in the past month, but case rates are declining in the workforce, as they are across the region. Wiedefeld added that his workforce is 93% vaccinated and 97% are compliant with vaccination or weekly testing mandate.

“I want to thank our customers for their patience as we took swift action to protect the health and safety of riders and employees in the face of the unprecedented COVID surge, which has impacted about 10 percent of our workforce since the holidays,” Wiedefeld said in a statement. “We look forward to providing more service to help the region recover from a particularly challenging period of this pandemic.”

ATU Local 689, the union that represents bus operators and the bulk of Metro’s other workforce, said they will “continue to do all that we can to protect workers, our families, and our passengers through this pandemic, while keeping the region moving,” President Ray Jackson said in a statement.

Metro says it’s working on finding the right staffing levels at each bus division and working to schedule shifts.

“Once regular Metrobus service has resumed, some trips may need to be adjusted based on employee availability each day,” Metro said in its release.

New update for 7000-series trains

General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said there is no updated timeline for the return of the 7000-series trains. Earlier this month, he said Metro would not return any 7000-series train back to the rails for 90 days, about mid-April.

“We’re at the start of that 90-day pause and we’ll work to find the root cause as quickly as we can and return to regular service as quickly as we can,” he said.

Metro is still working with consultants to identify the root cause, he said. The agency is also still in active communication with the independent Metrorail Safety Commission and the National Transportation Safety Board, which are investigating the October derailment that spurred the look into the 7000-series’ wheel issues.

Board chair praises outgoing General Manager

Board Chair Paul Smedberg said the board has hired search firm KA Partners to lead the search for a new general manager. KA Partners recently did the search for Denver transit’s new CEO and has done other executive searches for MARTA and BART in Atlanta and San Francisco. The Metro board executive committee, made up of Smedberg, Lucinda Babers, Jim Ports, and Sarah Kline will lead the effort as well.

Wiedefeld, 66, announced his retirement last week.

Smedberg praised his work, saying the board was “deeply disappointed by this news” but understands his reasons f0r retiring.

“Paul is an extraordinary executive and he was the exact right person for the position when he was hired in late 2015,” Smedberg said. “His leadership from day one, including SafeTrack, dedicated funding, and now the pandemic has served as a model for executives in the transit industry.

“We cannot stress how invaluable Paul has been to Metro and our region. And while we would like for him to stay longer, he himself said Metro needs a new leader who can commit to several years of service to set a new course.”

The board has not laid out a full job description yet, but DCist took a guess at what some of those qualifications might be.

In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Smedberg said he’s committed to getting the right leader and that will take some time. He said they’re looking for a “strong manager” who has a good background in fiscal management. Safety and customer service expertise are also top priorities. It doesn’t matter whether they come from transit or some other sector, he said. They’re looking for someone who is politically savvy and they’re looking nationally and internationally for that person.

Smedberg says he thinks the WMATA GM position will be attractive and exciting, despite its numerous challenges.

“How are people going to be using Metro in the future? What does Metro look like in the future?” Smedberg said. “Those are all big questions and I think it would be pretty exciting for an executive who wants to do something like that and I suspect we will have any number of people applying.”

Metro wants public to weigh in on budget, service levels, fare discounts

The public can weigh in on Metro’s budget process through Feb. 15. Hybrid in-person and online public hearings will take place on Feb. 7, 8, and 9. You can read about some of the proposals, including fare discounts and service levels, here.