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Washington Metrorail Safety Commission 2019 Annual Operations Report ON MET GT R N O I R H A S I A L W S A N F O E I Advancing Safety T S Y IS COMM TABLE OF CONTENTS The Commission is Created by Public Law 1 Letter from the CEO 3 Commissioners 4 Programs, Operations and Financial 2019 6 • Background 7 • Organizational Chart 8 • Metrorail System Map 9 • Certification 9 • Key Responsibilities 10 • First Audits 11 • Financial Independence 12 • Continuing Education 13 • Major Investigations 13 Appendices i • FY20 Budget Document i • Current Staff List iv All photographs used in this document are property of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission or are used with the permission of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority THE COMMISSION IS CREATED BY PUBLIC LAW After years of effort by the Commonwealth of Virginia, State of Maryland and the District of Columbia to establish the exact wording of the legislation, the Compact was sent for congressional approval. That approval came in the form of H.J. Res. 76 which, after enactment, legally established the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. H.J. Res. 76 Joint Resolution granting the consent and approval of Congress for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the District of Columbia to enter into a compact relating to the establishment of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission As ordered reported by the House Committee on Judiciary on June 14, 2017 Public Law No: 115-54 (08/22/2017). Introduced by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5) February 16, 2017. Interstate Compact TABLE OF CONTENTS This joint resolution grants congressional consent and approval for the Commonwealth of The Commission is Created by Public Law 1 Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the District of Columbia to enter into a Metrorail Safety Letter from the CEO 3 Commission (MSC) Interstate Compact. Commissioners 4 Programs, Operations and Financial 2019 6 The Compact establishes a Washington Metrorail Safety Commission for the safety oversight of • Background 7 the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Rail (Metrorail) System. • Organizational Chart 8 • Metrorail System Map 9 The commission shall: • Certification 9 • distribute a written State Safety Oversight Program; • Key Responsibilities 10 • enforce implementation of Metrorail’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, • First Audits 11 as well as audit triennially Metrorail’s compliance with such plan; • Financial Independence 12 • Continuing Education 13 • enforce implementation of any Corrective Action Plans; • Major Investigations 13 • enforce relevant federal and state laws and regulations relating to Metrorail safety; Appendices i • publish annually a Metrorail safety report, including updates of Corrective Action • FY20 Budget Document i Plans, Commission directives, and on-going investigations; and • Current Staff List iv • publish annually a report on commission operations. An independent annual audit shall be made of commission financial accounts. Washington Metrorail Safety Commission Annual Operations Report 1 2 Washington Metrorail Safety Commission Annual Operations Report LETTER FROM THE CEO The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission had an extremely productive year that included taking over direct safety oversight for Metrorail, expanding the Commission’s expertise, and issuing the first directives to Metrorail tied to significant audits, incidents and investigations, all within the first weeks and months after achieving federal certification. These are milestones that we will build upon for years to come as we continue to work with Metrorail to improve safety for riders, workers and the region. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission is the nation’s newest State Safety Oversight Agency, and the only one that is completely standalone. While other State Safety Oversight Agencies are embedded in state departments of transportation or utility commissions, the Commission handles not just oversight and enforcement work but also its own finances and other operations. We oversee safety on the second-busiest rail transit system in the country with the support of direct funding from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and related federal grants. This did not happen without significant help. Members of the Maryland and Virginia General The Washington Metrorail Safety Assemblies, D.C. Council, local and regional bodies, Commission is the nation’s newest State the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Safety Oversight Agency, and the only and officials in numerous agencies have been crucial partners in this effort. Other elected and one that is completely standalone. agency leaders and staff in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments were also instrumental in standing up the Commission. I cannot overstate the importance of the Council of Governments in launching and supporting our efforts to enhance the safety of Metrorail. The Council of Governments provided essential financial support while the Commission was acquiring a staff and preparing a draft of our first Program Standard. This was indispensable to the process of gaining our certification. I would also like to especially thank the Commissioners for entrusting me and our dedicated team with such an important responsibility for the region and the nation’s capital. The six Commissioners and three alternates guide our continuous work to make the Metrorail system as safe as possible for everyone. Sincerely, David Mayer, Chief Executive Officer Washington Metrorail Safety Commission Annual Operations Report 3 MARK ROSENKER ROBERT BOBB (Commonwealth of Virginia), (District of Columbia) COMMISSIONERS Vice Chairman Commissioner Vice Chairman Bobb earned a Rosenker is a Bachelor of Arts in CHRISTOPHER HART transportation Political Science (District of Columbia), Chair consultant and from Grambling Mr. Hart is chair of safety analyst. State University the Washington He is a board and a Master of Metrorail Safety member of several Science degree in Business from Commission. companies. He was chairman of the Western Michigan University. He Chairman Hart NTSB from 2005 to 2009 and served went on to earn a Certificate for as a member from 2003 to 2009. has extensive Senior Executives in State and Previously, Vice Chairman Rosenker Local Governments from Harvard experience working in transportation worked for two years (2001-2002) University’s John F. Kennedy School and specifically transportation at the White House as a Deputy of Government. Commissioner Bobb safety issues in both the public Assistant to the President and is known as a turnaround specialist. and private sectors. He served as Director of the White House Military He stepped in as emergency an attorney for the Air Transport Office. He also lent his efforts to financial manager of Detroit Association of America, as an the United Network for Organ Public Schools. He also served as associate attorney for the law firms Sharing and the Electronic Industries city administrator for the District Peabody, Rivlin, Lambert, & Meyers Alliance. Vice Chairman Rosenker of Columbia, among his many and Dickstein, Shapiro & Morin, is a retired major general in the Air accomplishments. Commissioner and as a managing partner for the Force Reserve. His term expires in Bobb’s term expires in 2020. law firm Hart & Chavers. He was 2023. also the Deputy Administrator of JOHN CONTESTABILE the National Highway Traffic DEBRA FARRAR- (State of Maryland) Administration and Assistant DYKE Commissioner Administrator for System Safety (State of Contestabile is Maryland), and Deputy Director of the the Director of Secretary-Treasurer Air Traffic Safety Oversight Public Safety Commissioner Service at the Federal Aviation Programs for Farrar-Dyke is Secretary-Treasurer Skyline Technology Administration. Chairman Hart of the Commission. She is a senior Solutions where he develops served two terms as a member manager with over 30 years of information technology initiatives for of the National Transportation successful, progressive leadership the public safety community. He was Safety Board (NTSB) from 1990 in transportation and procurement a Program Manager for Emergency to 1993 and 2009 to January management. Commissioner Preparedness and Response Systems 2018. He served as chairman of Farrar-Dyke is also a Commissioner in the Homeland Security practice the NTSB from 2014 to 2017. on the Maryland Transportation of the Johns Hopkins University/ Chairman Hart earned a Bachelor Commission. Previously she was Applied Physics Lab. Prior to working of Science in Engineering and a responsible for the Disadvantaged at Johns Hopkins, Commissioner Master of Science in Engineering Business and Small Business Contestabile worked for the state from Princeton University and a Programs at the Washington of Maryland in a variety of roles Juris Doctor from Harvard Law Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. including Acting Assistant Secretary School. Chairman Hart’s term as She also led oversight of operating of the Maryland Department of Commissioner and Chair expires and capital budgets preparation Transportation, Acting Homeland in 2022. and implementation at Metro. Security Director, and Public Safety Commissioner Farrar-Dyke’s term Communications Interoperability expires in 2021. Director. He also worked directly 4 Washington Metrorail Safety Commission Annual Operations Report on Metrorail