The three chief executives in the Washington area have announced a two-year plan to overhaul Metro’s leadership and accountability structure.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray announced the plan Monday. It calls for a transformation of WMATA governance.
The plan calls for changes in the immediate future and over the next two years.
In the immediate future it would require Metro to:
- Define the general manager as WMATA’s chief executive officer and give him or her clear authority to oversee day-to-day management of the system.
- End the annual rotation of chairmanship by increasing the term from one to two years.
- Develop an orientation process and other leadership activities for board members.
The plan also calls for the agency to define the responsibilities and roles of board members and to introduce staggered, four-year terms and a maximum of one renewal for all board members.
Within two years, Metro would also need to define the role of the federal government when it comes to WMATA governance, including possible federal participation on the board.
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D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said while a lot of work remains to get everything right, “the steps taken today will result in a better WMATA Board and ultimately better Metrobus and Metrorail service for the region’s transit riders.”
You can read the entire plan here.
