John Catoe, the much-reviled former general manager of Metro who resigned from the position in January under immense pressure, has returned to the transit agency. Well, sort of.

Image courtesy WMATA As expected, the WMATA board today appointed former New Jersey transit chief Richard Sarles as its new interim general manager. Sarles, who told reporters today that he is not interested in the GM gig long-term, will earn $25,000 a month while the board conducts a search for a permanent replacement for John Catoe. Catoe is set to retire on April 2, but Sarles will formally start on March 29, giving the…

Can’t say we’re surprised, but WTOP’s Adam Tuss has the story: WMATA is having a difficult time finding anyone to take on the job of interim general manager. Tuss writes that “at least two internal candidates have been offered the top spot at Metro, but they have declined.” Some external candidates have reportedly turned down the job, too. John Catoe is set to depart in early April, leaving the transit agency little time to…

Photo by Colleen Kelleher, courtesy WTOP Metro board members Peter Benjamin, Jim Graham and Chris Zimmerman appeared on WTOP today and told reporter Mark Segraves they expect a search for a new General Manager will take six to nine months. John Catoe announced his sudden resignation last week, and the board admitted that they were taken by surprise. “We are at this point organizing our thoughts in terms of both interim and long-term hiring…

Jackie Jeter The president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, Jackie Jeter, offered this reaction to John Catoe’s resignation. “It is with some measure of trepidation that I look to the future of Metro’s management. With the sudden announcement that John Catoe will be leaving his position in four months, my concerns center on my membership and the riding public. Catoe’s imminent departure will only exacerbate the state of flux affecting those working to…

Here’s the statement from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton upon learning of Metro General Manager John Catoe’s decision to step down: “When the last General Manager of Metro was forced out, John Catoe inherited a Metro system in deep crisis. He showed considerable skill in keeping a floundering ship afloat while Congress waited for years, despite the urging of the region, to authorize funding essential for beginning to resuscitate Metro’s aging infrastructure, appropriated the first…

Photo by Samer Farha Like several other local bloggers, I was on hand for a roundtable discussion on Wednesday evening with Metro General Manager John Catoe. My story on the meeting was basically done earlier today, and I had planned to post it just as soon as I gave it a polish after I got back from a lunch meeting. I was by no means expecting to return to my computer to discover that…

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…

Photo by Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie Metro General Manager John Catoe has released this lengthy statement on the future of the transit agency’s safety standards, which he delivered to the WMATA board of directors today. In it, he declares a “war” to make sure the transit system is as safe as it can possibly be. The statement comes after Catoe announced that he would replace two of his top managers in the wake…

Photo by ep jhu. 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…