US

New DC Metro Chief Says Safety Is ‘Much Worse’ Than He Thought

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Steve Birr Vice Reporter
Font Size:

Washington, D.C.’s new metro chief says the overall situation is even worse than he expected, and possibly even more disastrous than media descriptions report.

Paul Wiedefeld, whose colleagues say has experience turning around failing systems, addressed growing concern over safety and efficiency in his first public address Monday. Wiedefeld admitted the harsh public criticism of the metro is merited and acknowledged D.C. must “confront some hard truths” if officials want to successfully turn things around, reports NBC Washington.

“To be frank, it’s much worse than I expected, and perhaps publicly than we’ve talking about,” Wiedefeld said Monday at the National Press Club.

Wiedefeld wants residents to feel safe on the metro and notes they are currently failing riders. He insists crime rates on the metro are low but says safety and security measures can be strengthened.

“The safety culture at Metro is not integrated with operations, nor well-rooted at all levels,” Wiedefeld states in a Sunday press release. “Understandably, high-profile incidents have shaken confidence in the operational safety of the rail system and corrective actions are needed. And, while crime on Metro remains lower than in most communities, recent assaults have alarmed customers who deserve to be reassured by active policing strategies.”

Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik announced in February officials would substantially boost their police presence based on time of day and crime trends at different stations. Metro police have begun “power hour” deployments that double the police presence in certain stations at different times of day. Metro officials are also in the process of reassigning up to 17 officers for added patrol resources. (RELATED: DC Metro Will Boost Police Presence In Response To Shooting, Mounting Safety Concerns)

Wiedefeld addressed rider grievances with operational delays and breakdowns. Some residents feel that on top of the safety issues, they can’t even rely on the metro to get to work on time each day, reports WUSA9.

“While riders told me they want to feel safe, the top issue they point to is service reliability,” Wiedefeld said in the press release. “Last year, rail on-time performance fell from 92% to 85%, and the experience for many customers was even worse as rail car mechanical failures have doubled the number of late trains. Inadequate supply chain for parts, maintenance practices, and modern fleet management strategies are also lacking.”

Changes are already being put into action, with increased security in place and the replacement of old train cars and radio installations currently underway. In the long-term Wiedefeld will oversee a restructuring of metro’s executive team and administrative process.

“It will take everyone going forward together,” Wiedefeld said in the press release. “Employees, management, our Board, riders, funders, business leaders, communities, and all stakeholders – to restore this once-great system, renew our collective pride, and deliver a world-class system that benefits the nation’s capital.”

Follow Steve on Twitter

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.