GAO Criticizes D.C. Metro Board For Micromanagement

(photo by Kate Hinds)

(Washington D.C. - WAMU) The board of directors that governs Metro, the D.C. area's public transit agency, is too involved in day-to-day decisions and doesn't have proper oversight, according to a Government Accountability Office report released today.

The GAO investigated Metro's governance structure after a string of safety and reliability problems, including a rush-hour train collision two years ago that killed nine people and injured dozens more.

It found that, unlike many corporate and public sector boards, Metro's board was heavily involved in the minor details of the transit agency. Board members made decisions about "hiring and firing employees," approval of "minor personnel policy," and detailed decisions such as "station tiles, bicycle facilities and transit car seat colors."

This micromanagement, the GAO report states, is a result of inadequately defined roles and responsibilities for the board.

The GAO also found that, unlike most other big city transit agencies, Metro's Inspector General doesn't have the authority to investigate board members for allegations of wrongdoing.

In the aftermath of the 2009 crash, nearly every aspect of Metro came under intense scrutiny, and the board of directors was no exception. The National Transportation Safety Board criticized it for contributing to a deficient safety culture. And several regional leaders - including Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray - are currently in talks to make radical changes to the board's structure.

Metro's board is trying to preempt that, and it's currently in the process of changing its own bylaws. “This new board is hard at work meeting multiple parallel demands, including improving safety and system state-of-good-repair to better serve our customers,” said current chairman Catherine Hudgins. It will "continue to embrace change and advance many governance improvements that substantially strengthen our role as a regional policy and oversight organization."

To read the full GAO report, click here.