The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has threatened to withhold funding from the D.C. Metro and shut it down if it does not comply with safety directives issued by federal overseers on Saturday.
According to documents originally obtained by WAMU Radio, the FTA directives require Metro to quickly make four fixes to its culture: regard safety as more important than operational convenience, reduce the risk of fire and smoke, improve emergency preparedness and increase training for Metro workers via a “safety stand down.”
Failure to comply would result in the federal agency withholding 25% of Metro’s federal funds, along with “issuing restrictions, closures or prohibitions on service as necessary.” The FTA assumed oversight of Metro safety in October.
Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said his agency will implement long-term single tracking for subway trains and close the system at midnight seven days a week to overhaul the ailing system over the next year.
Beginning June 4, Metro will completely close five sections of the rail service and use single tracking for up to 21 days to conduct repairs, rather than only doing the work on weekends. Stations normally close at 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, but closing time now will be midnight.
The Blue Line will first see the work, with trains single-tracking for 15 days between Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street. It will affect about 18,000 trips through the stations.
