Senator tired of 'lip service' from Metro on safety

WASHINGTON - Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski is issuing the latest verbal attack in the continuing back and forth between her and Metro.

Mikulski has asked Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to investigate Metro's treatment of the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which oversees the safety of the transit system.

The committee wants to monitor live subway tracks to see if Metro workers are complying with safety regulations. Two workers have been killed in the last six months.

Metro had said "no," but now says it will allow the monitoring.

"I don't want piecemeal responses from Metro -- I've had it with Metro," Mikulski says. "I've had it with lip-service, I want real service. I want real safety and I want to have a vigorous review of the safety mandates for Metro and we want them then to follow those."

Mikulski says she has been frustrated with Metro and its failure to respond to the public's "cry for safety."

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez plans to hold a hearing on Metro's handling of the Tri-State Oversight Committee in the next few weeks.

Nine people were killed earlier this year when two Metro trains collided. A six-car train slammed into the back of a stopped train between Fort Totten and Takoma during the afternoon rush hour on June 22.

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