In the News

Faiz Siddiqui

Members of the Washington region’s congressional delegation are asking the Metro Board to reconsider its plan to disband the Riders' Advisory Council, the only direct rider liaison for the panel.

In a letter signed by the delegation’s Democrats, the officials say killing the RAC would set Metro back and a deal a blow to transparency for an agency trying to win back riders. The board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its Thursday meeting.

“Eliminating the RAC would ... undermine the strides Metro has made while cutting out one of the most transparent tools the riders have to exchange ideas and experiences in a public forum with Metro,” according to a copy of the letter obtained Monday by The Washington Post. “The RAC is not perfect but eliminating it entirely would not represent an act of good faith in maintaining a positive relationship with riders or further -- promoting new ridership."

The letter was signed by Reps. Anthony G. Brown (Md.), Steny H. Hoyer (Md.), Gerald E. Connolly (Va.), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (Va), Jamie Raskin (Md) and John K. Delaney (D-Md.), along with D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D).

The letter, which follows similar action by officials from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, is likely to reignite the discussion about eliminating the rider group. Notably absent from the document, however, was Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va), who has been vocal critic of the transit agency on some issues.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for Comstock said she was not given an opportunity to sign the letter, but that she supports efforts to keep the RAC. Comstock was working with RAC leadership to persuade the board against eliminating the group, the spokesman said.

Brown, who led the effort to draft the letter, said the board should make an effort to improve direct rider engagement, rather than turning to the online survey system favored by the majority of leadership.

“If there are some on the board or in Metro governance that don’t believe it’s serving the same purpose or functionality it was intended to do, instead of eliminating it, let’s strengthen it,” Brown said, echoing an argument from some in Montgomery County.

Connolly said action to eliminate a group that provides direct rider input -- at a time when Metro is seeking to increase ridership -- sends the wrong message. But the issue goes beyond messaging, he said.

“That doesn’t even pass the smell test of good customer relations,” Connolly said. “We think this is a really bad idea.”

Metro board members Michael Goldman, who represents Maryland, and Christian Dorsey, who represents Virginia, have both said they oppose eliminating the group.

Maryland officials believe the proposal would be subject to a “jurisdictional veto," meaning the measure could not pass if both board members from a one jurisdiction -- D.C., Maryland or Virginia -- oppose it.

Maryland’s Clarence Crawford and Virginia’s Jim Corcoran, each of whom could have the decisive vote on the issue, could not immediately be reached for comment.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2018/10/22/members-regions-congressional-delegation-urge-metro-board-keep-riders-advisory-council/?utm_term=.385a2a4a55e8