Metro, safety oversight board meet for first time

WASHINGTON - By Metro board meeting standards, Thursday's meeting was a landmark session.

For the first time ever, the agency that has direct oversight of the safety of Metro met face-to-face with Metro's board of directors.

The little-known Tri-State Oversight Committee -- a six-member group, comprised of members who mostly share duties with other government agencies in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. -- came together with Metro staff and board members to discuss safety issues.

The TOC, as it's known, was created in 1997. But Thursday was the first time a formal session was held with the agency at Metro headquarters.

At one point during the meeting, Metro Board Chairman Jim Graham had to ask the longest-serving member of the TOC, Matt Bassett, what his name was.

"It is odd that this is the first time," said Eric Madison, chairman of the Tri-State Oversight Committee. "Hopefully this won't be the last meeting either."

The sit-down session comes as pressure mounts for more oversight of Metro.

In addition to the nine people who were killed during the Red Line collision in June, two track workers have also died in recent months, along with a contractor who was killed on the job.

The meeting focused specifically on a recent dispute between Metro and the TOC, where TOC members were told by Metro they would not be allowed access to electrified sections of track. TOC members had wanted to gain access to those tracks to ensure that safety standards were being followed.

On Thursday, officials revealed that those inspectors were instead placed in the cab of a train to monitor what was happening on the tracks.

However, the confusion over communication between the groups was apparent during the meeting. Metro's safety chief has been communicating with the TOC since May, although General Manager John Catoe said he only learned of the communications last week.

"I think, ultimately we would like to avoid issues like this going forward, so that if we have an issue like this we can get it resolved more quickly," Madison said.

For the record, Metro now says TOC members will be allowed direct access to "live" track areas, as long as they are accompanied by an escort.

After the meeting, it was agreed that some new lines of communication need to be opened between Metro and the TOC.

The TOC, however, does not have the ability to enforce certain safety recommendations against Metro, leaving the group virtually toothless.

But Catoe reiterated that his agency is committed to safety.

"We support and we believe in safety at this organization. In fact, I have had the opportunity to testify in front of Congress for more oversight from a safety standpoint," Catoe said.

Meanwhile, Metro is exploring more ways to keep track workers safe when they are on the tracks.

WTOP has learned the transit agency is working to develop an illuminated signal that would send out a warning when trains are approaching. The signal would be positioned at the front end of rail station platforms, and would be lit so that train operators could clearly see workers are on the tracks.

The signal would be turned on by track workers before they enter the track area.

Metro hopes to install the first warning signal by the summer.

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)