Don't say we didn't warn them. A day after Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski blasted the transit system's leadership, General Manager John Catoe announced his top deputy and the agency's chief safety officer will be saying goodbye.
Both Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis and Chief Safety Officer Alexa Dupigny-Samuels will step down from their jobs, according to a memo sent late Friday by Catoe to Metro's board of directors, the Washington Post reported.
In addition, Metrobus chief Milo Victoria and Assistant General Manager Sara Wilson, who oversees communications, will step down as well, Catoe said in the memo.
The changes came after Mikulski (D-Md.) said she had no confidence in the system at a hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday. A supporter of Metro in the past, she also noted that 11 people have died on Metro this year and that changes need to be made.
Catoe told the board that Metro's focus on safety needed to be more visible to improve public perception and confidence.
Jim Graham, the Metro board's chairman, said the changes have been in the works for several weeks. "I think these are solid steps by the general manager to improve the effectiveness of his key staff," he said. "I support these changes."
