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Home > Metro System > Public Involvement at Metro Public Involvement at MetroGet involved! Read on for Sierra Club's proposals for better public involvement and accountability at Metro, then sign up to volunteer. Newsclips: Metro to Test Plan to End Orange Line Bottleneck Metro Is Ready to Bring Citizen Advisers Aboard
Riders Advisory Council Offers Promising Opportunity to Improve Transit Service Washington Post Endorses an independent Riders Advisory Council
September 22, 2005
Dennis Jaffe H/O: 202-232-2525 Cell: 609-672-9513 Riders Advisory Council Offers Promising Opportunity to Improve Transit Service
Sierra Club's 10-Month Campaign Shaped New Council
Today, Sierra Club commends the members of Metro's Board of Directors, led by Chairman Dana Kauffman, for establishing the Riders Advisory Council. When Mr. Kauffman became chairman on February 17th, he made a public commitment on behalf of the agency to create the riders council. He has made good on that commitment. We also thank Leona Agouridis, Assistant General Manager for Communications, and her staff for their time and dedication during this process.
We commend Mr. Kauffman and the board and Mr. White for changing the Riders Advisory Council proposal to allow the council to lead the selection process of staff that will serve the council. We endorse the proposal with hope that it will be helpful to riders -- and to the agency. Last December, Sierra Club submitted to Metro's General Manager and Board of Directors a 10-point proposal that aimed to increase the agency's openness with the public and its responsiveness to riders. Creation of a strong Riders Advisory Council has been the cornerstone of that effort. It is our expectation that the council will provide a useful forum through which riders can express their concerns over issues affecting their experience riding Metro, that the council will effectively make its views known to the agency's board and staff, and that Metro's board and staff will be responsive to the council. Sierra Club believes that Metro, overall, is a great system, and we recognize the very positive job done by many staff members at Metro. We have been very concerned, however, that people experience serious frustrations on a daily basis -- and that those frustrations often do not receive a satisfactory response. We have not only heard frustrations of others unhappy over various situations in riding Metro. We ourselves experience great frustration with inadequate responses from customer service staff when seeking information, and sometimes directly from other service staff with whom we raise concerns. There is a culture of unresponsiveness throughout the agency. We look forward to the hiring of additional customer service staff, who are clearly handling a workload that cannot possibly be handled in a satisfactory way. The volume of inquiries and complaints that they handle should never have risen to the level that it did. Other staff throughout the agency clearly do not have the reverence that should be given to customer service staff. We know this because of the responses that customer service staff receive from other staff -- and then forward to customers like ourselves. But this has to change from the top, down. It won't change from within the customer staff department. Since we released our proposal, Metro has added information to its web site about upcoming board meetings and has established public comment periods at board meetings. We continue to advocate for extending this to meetings of committees, the decisions by which are most often subsequently adopted at regular board meetings. We also recommend to the board that the agency take a careful look at how to make its web site easier to navigate. Riders expect that the people making decisions on the quality of transit service should be familiar with what we experience. A Riders Advisory Council that loyally represents riders' concerns can help Metro better pinpoint the service improvements which need to be made. The better the service, the happier riders will be, and the stronger the support for funding Metro. We formulated our original proposal because we are committed to strengthening our transit system, and making it more stable. Metro's mission is incredibly important to our region. We believe it is vital to strengthen the partnership between Metro and the public, and that the single best way to do that is by ushering in greater participation by its riders in the decision-making that affects how the agency is run.
Now, it's up to thoughtful riders to come forward to volunteer their service on the Riders Advisory Council, and it's up to the board to pick qualified members who will offer the agency the advice it needs. Hopefully, Metro will get the word out effectively to riders about how to apply for appointment to the council. Information on Metro's web site -- www.WMATA.com or www.MetroOpensDoors.com -- can be difficult to find. Citizens can apply during a three-week period, between September 26th and October 17th. It is expected that tomorrow, Metro will provide information online about the application process. Sierra Club will assist in making the public aware of the new council and how to apply. ##
-------------------------- Debra Johnson, Director of Project Communications Dear Ms. Johnson: Sierra Club has long believed that a high quality public transportation system is essential to the environmental, social, and economic health of our region. A well-run, comprehensive Metro: helps to keep our air cleaner by removing hundreds of thousands of cars from our roads; encourages prudent and efficient use of our land by reducing the need for parking spaces; and lessens the stress and danger to which our region's road traffic exposes us. Recognizing the benefits that a healthy Metro system brings to our region – and that an even stronger Metro could bring us – Sierra Club has made the health of our local public transit system a top priority. We have hosted public forums on Metro issues, built public support for critical Metro Matters funding and lobbied for better bus information to make navigating the bus system easier for people. We plan to soon step up our public campaign in support of establishing a dedicated funding formula for Metro. Last December, we wrote the first in a series of letters to WMATA's General Manager and Board of Directors, outlining a 10-point proposal that aimed to increase the agency's openness with the public and its responsiveness to riders. The genesis behind the proposal was that we realized there was an urgent need to address people's frustration with Metro, as such dissatisfaction was and is a serious hindrance to securing the public funds needed to maintain and improve the system. From engaging in these issues related to public accountability, we became more sensitized to the concerns that riders in general have about Metro – but many of our members have voiced their considerable frustration themselves, too. Metro is a good system, but it's decaying as a result of years of underfunding and consequentially deferred maintenance, as well as some poor management decisions. And importantly, it is widely seen as having an insular culture and being unresponsive to customers' inquiries and requests. We frequently hear “a Metro story” from our own ranks, whether it's about delays, escalators not operating, difficulty in finding a fold-up bus system map anywhere, incomprehensible train announcements, or what is often called, “the typical non-response response from Metro customer service.” There is no other way to put it: customer service responses are often the subject of ridicule, including in entries on local internet blogs. It reflects badly on the agency. And the way to fix it is not just through hiring much-needed, additional staff, which we support. A change in the culture from the top down is needed – one that values satisfying riders. We are asked by citizens and by the media how we resolve our support for dedicated funding with our own criticisms of the Metro system. One way we attempt to resolve this seeming contradiction is through our advocacy of a strong Riders Advisory Council (RAC). Metro Board Chairman Dana Kauffman has consistently made clear his commitment to creating a riders council. Members of our Transportation Committee had 10 meetings with Metro staff to flesh out details of a proposal. Those meetings took place because of Chairman Kauffman's leadership. We credit him for his dedication to this idea, for his accessibility and for his open-mindedness in considering and implementing other proposed reforms, such as Board meeting public comment periods. There is one point which we have made over and over and over to Metro's leadership of great fundamental importance – and which we regrettably believe the Board both “doesn't get” and has dismissed. It is a point which citizens repeatedly made during the public comment period, and with great poignance: independence. The issue of independence relates to the Board's latest proposal for a RAC in two ways. The first is who appoints RAC members. If the RAC members are appointed directly by the Metro Board, the public – especially the media – will see them as extensions of the Board without the independence needed to truly and freely represent riders. There is a certain comfort in this for the agency. And people are upset by this. They want a RAC with a real influential voice, not one that is muffled because of strong political ties to the agency. After all, the reason to establish the RAC should be to give the agency the advice it needs – not the advice it wants. But WMATA's proposal looks too much like window dressing, creating a superficial welcome to a room, furnished with niceties but not respect. The jurisdictions should appoint RAC members. If the agency were not so insular and unresponsive to riders, the issue of independence would be significantly less critical. But any open dialogue with riders reveals this perception to be widely and deeply-held. And so, independence is critical in order to establish a RAC that has respect. The agency is clearly sending a message that it is afraid of establishing a RAC with the independence that is necessary to make it influential. While “insider relationships” certainly help gain access, the truth is that the agency really needs to hear constructive advice from those who don't owe their appointments to the agency. If RAC members are appointed by Metro directly, they will be reluctant to offer the advice needed because by doing so, they would be risking their relationships with Board members. Long into our discussions with staff, we wavered on this principle because we thought it was important to get a RAC established. Frankly, the message we heard from riders during the public comment period for this proposal convinced us to reaffirm support for our original position. If a RAC is set up in such a way that some unwelcome but constructive advice can emanate from it and be heard by the Board and staff, and the agency makes changes in response to what its customers are articulating through the RAC, then there will be an opportunity to build public support for a dedicated funding source for Metro. If the Board does not set up an entity respected for the opportunity and responsibility given to its members and to its staff, the RAC won't receive enough respect to make it influential, the agency won't receive the advice it needs, it won't make improvements that would otherwise come as a result of a healthier, more open dialogue with a stronger RAC, and the opportunity to build public support for dedicated funding will be seriously weakened. During the 30-day public comment period, riders also made clear to us that if staff for the RAC owe their jobs to Metro's management, it will undermine the RAC's effectiveness. Similarly, it is essential that the Riders Advisory Council lead the selection process for staff who will help the council get its job done. On page 4, we propose language for the Board's consideration for Article V, Section D of the By-Laws. We also provide on the following page excerpts from the By-Laws in which deletions were made of the RAC's role of constructively and pro-actively engaging agency staff to explore ideas on improving the agency. It is regrettable that the agency has moved to curtail such a critically important function of the RAC. We urge its reinstatement. We also wish to voice our disappointment, shared by other riders, on Metro's cutting back on formerly twice-a-month online chats. We repeat our request that the Board consider establishing public comment periods at meetings by board committees, which make many decisions that are truly determinative for the board's regular meetings. We believe it is vital to strengthen the partnership between Metro and the public, and that the single best way to do that is by ushering in greater participation by its riders. For, the more we empower riders to improve local transit, the more likely we can depend less on cars and more on Metro – reducing traffic congestion and pollution, and protecting the environment. Thank you. We continue to welcome the opportunity for dialogue with Metro toward helping it fulfill its valuable mission to our region. Sincerely, Jason Broehm Dennis Jaffe
Proposed language for inclusion in by-laws of the WMATA Riders Advisory Council ARTICLE V OFFICERS D. STAFF SUPPORT 1. Hiring Committee for RAC Vacant Positions
2. Hiring Process
3. Supervision Process
ARTICLE II MISSION C. RESPONSIBILITIES
D. COMMUNICATION WITH THE STAFF AND BOARD
ARTICLE V OFFICERS D. STAFF SUPPORT The GM/CEO or his designee shall designate a person to serve as RAC staff to prepare meeting notices, agendas, and minutes as required and to serve as liaison between the RAC and other WMATA staff and the WMATA Board of Directors. ARTICLE VI MEETINGS D. DECISIONS AND ADVICE OF THE RAC The RAC may also provide advice to the WMATA Board or staff that represents a variety of opinions and for which no formal action is taken or necessary. ARTICLE VII AGENDA, MINUTES, AND RULES OF CONDUCT A. AGENDAS 1. The Chair, with the support of WMATA staff, will prepare an agenda for regular meetings. ----------------------------------------------- July, 2005 Sierra Club has always been a staunch, resolute proponent of a safe, convenient and well-run public transportation system. The stronger our local transit system is, the better the riding experience for Metro customers. The more satisfied riders are, the more likely families throughout our region will depend less on their cars and depend more on Metro – reducing traffic congestion and pollution, and protecting the environment. Debra Johnson, Director of Project In order to help create a RAC that is a respected entity which ultimately could be very helpful toward improving the agency’s operations and increasing public confidence in the institution, we propose that Article V, Section D include language such as below. We object to deletion of bolded text:
Article II C. RESPONSIBILITIES
D. COMMUNICATION WITH THE STAFF AND BOARD
Article V D. STAFF SUPPORT
Article VI
Article VII A. AGENDAS
____________________________________
Debra Johnson, --------------------------- May, 2005 - Letter to Board Members The Hon. Dana Kauffman Dear Chairman Kauffman and Members of the Board: The Sierra Club has always been a staunch, resolute proponent of a well-run public transportation system. The stronger our local transit system is, the better the riding experience for Metro customers. The more satisfied riders are, the more likely we will see families throughout our region depend less on their cars and depend more on Metro – reducing traffic congestion and pollution, and protecting the environment. Last December, we unveiled our 10 point proposal to give riders a meaningful voice in Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operations. In light of recent news coverage of mishaps and mismanagement, it is vitally important that WMATA demonstrate it is more responsive to the riding public. As Mr. Kauffman took on the role of chair of the WMATA on February 17th, he declared at a news conference, “We must … give our riders an active role in shaping the future of Metro.” Mr. Kauffman also said on February 17th that the agency must “regain our standing in the community.” That obviously requires providing excellent service. It also requires that WMATA give riders a meaningful role in shaping the future of Metro, which can help the agency pinpoint necessary areas of improvement. Members of the Board of Directors joined with Mr. Kauffman at the news conference as he promised that the Board will listen to Metro customers. Thanks to Mr. Kauffman’s leadership and the support of the Board, a positive beginning is underway: The first-ever public comment period during the April 21st Board meeting was an important step in promoting public involvement in the agency’s decision-making process.
We do see mechanical trouble spots regarding the accessibility of the Board to citizens and also setting up a credible Riders Advisory Council (RAC). Resolving these issues in a way that increases public confidence in the agency could go a long way toward helping secure the stable financial support necessary for a first-class transit system. Accessibility of the Board for Citizens “Full” Board Meetings: The public comment guidelines posted on the agency’s website do a disservice to the Board and the agency, and send the wrong message to the public in the following ways:
These policies are too restrictive and do not give riders enough opportunity to address the Board. Board Committee Meetings: Board members have asserted that most of the agency’s business is determined at Board committee meetings. Consistent with this recognition, public comment should be allowed at Board committee meetings. We believe this will not only provide WMATA with more opportunities to hear feedback from riders, but will also take pressure off the monthly Board meetings as the only opportunity for public comment. We also note that some “committees” are comprised of all members of the Board – yet do not provide any opportunity for public comment. Email Communication: Providing only one email address for 12 Board members and alternates fails to connect riders with a real person. Board members should be accessible to riders and the general public. Also, it is inefficient for staff to transmit or print out email messages for the intended recipient, and confidentiality is damaged. The web site for the District of Columbia Board of Education provides easily-accessible, uniform email addresses for all of its members at: http://www.k12.dc.us/dcps/boe/boecontact.html. Establishing a Meaningful Voice for RidersAn Effective, Credible Riders Advisory Council:The cornerstone of our proposal is the establishment of a Riders Advisory Council (RAC) that is representative of riders of Metro, and which will endure to advise the WMATA Board on ways to improve MetroRail, MetroBus and MetroAccess, and pursue the following goals:
When the RAC speaks, the public must know that it is hearing the representative voice of riders – not the voice of the Board, and not the voice of WMATA employees. But we are concerned that WMATA will establish a council that gives Board members and agency staff an imposing role in controlling its day-to-day operations. We see two necessary steps in the establishment of the RAC to ensure that the Council functions as a genuine, representative voice for riders: 1) Jurisdiction Appointment of RAC Members: The Council’s standing with the public will be affected by who appoints its members. If the Council members are appointed by the jurisdictions which appoint WMATA Board members, it will help meet a necessary threshold of credibility with the public. But if the Board makes the appointments, the RAC will be subject to being seen as an extension of the Board instead of as the genuine voice of riders. 2) Independence of RAC Staff: If RAC staff are chosen and supervised by WMATA employees, it will fundamentally hinder the Council’s very purpose as the voice of riders. When the RAC and WMATA have different perspectives, RAC staff will have a conflict between representing the Riders Advisory Council and acting on behalf of their WMATA coworkers and supervisor. The word “customers” appeared nine times in Mr. Kauffman’s February 17th remarks, reflecting his commitment to make WMATA more responsive to riders. In addition to the proposed Riders Advisory Council having “riders” in its name, it is essential that the Council provide riders a truly meaningful voice at the agency. The greater the opportunity for the RAC to air riders’ concerns unfettered, the less frustration there will be for riders looking for other ways to vent their concerns, and the more satisfaction there will be with the results. It is our hope that the final RAC proposal will be one deserving of Sierra Club’s support. We look forward to your response and to working with you further on these and other issues that affect our region.
Sincerely, Dennis Jaffe cc: Richard White, General Manager -------------------------- December 2004 - Open Letter to Metro Officials December 7, 2004 Richard White, CEO
Dear CEO White and Chairman Smith: The Sierra Club has long believed that a high quality public transportation system is essential to the environmental, social, and economic health of our region. Metro helps keep our air cleaner by removing hundreds of thousands of cars from our roads, and also helps encourage efficient use of our land by eliminating the need to park them. Recognizing this, the Sierra Club has worked to promote and improve Metro by hosting public forums on Metro issues, building public support for critical Metro Matters funding, and lobbying for improved bus information. We acknowledge that the most serious of Metro's problems that have come to light recently–particularly the equipment breakdowns and overcrowding–are the result of years of underfunding and consequentially deferred maintenance. However, we believe Metro would benefit from greater involvement with its riders. Opportunities for meaningful dialogue between Metro decision-makers and riders are scarce. Greater accountability would do much to build public confidence in Metro and solidify public support for dedicated funding. We propose 10 steps to build a better relationship with the riding public. Most have been implemented at other transit systems across the country, and all could be implemented quickly and at minimal cost.
10 steps to help Metro develop a more effective working relationship with Metro passengers and the broader public. 1.) Establish A Passengers Advisory Committee. To ensure an independent and effective committee: i) Committee members should be appointed by the jurisdictions that also appoint Metro Board members and should not be appointed by Metro staff or Directors; Many large transit agencies have established such committees (see Appendix 2). In particular, we urge Metro to examine the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Permanent Citizen Advisory Committee as a model. 2.) Provide Public Comment Periods at All Board Meeting. 3.) Make Planning and Budget Documents Easily Available. Metro should post all of its public documents on its website, and make hard copies available by mail upon request. The website should be organized so that this information is easy to find from Metro's homepage. Metro should establish an email announcement list that lets its subscribers know when new documents of this type are available and when public meetings are scheduled. 4.) Solicit Public Comment on Planning Documents. 5.) Provide Contact Information For WMATA Directors. To remedy this situation, Metro should provide both email addresses and postal mailing addresses for all Directors, and publish these on the website and other Metro documents. Riders deserve to know who represents them at Metro, and to have a direct way to contact those representatives. 6.) Arrange for a Comprehensive Review of Metro Operations by an Independent, Outside Contractor. Such a review should be conducted by an independent organization, carried out by discreet and anonymous reviewers, in a systematic manner so that it gathers a statistically significant snapshot of the operations. Our model for this suggestion is that of "secret shoppers" employed by retail firms to review the performance of their establishments. We have included in Appendix 1 a list of service points that should be included in the review of bus operations. The results of this review should be made widely available to the public, as described in step 3. 7.) Make Service Reports Public and Easily Available. 8.) Treat Customer Service As a Dialogue with Riders. Customer Service representatives should be trained and instructed to write in Plain English. Responses from Customer Service should contain the name, phone number, and email address of the specific representative who is handling the inquiry. When a substantial suggestion or complaint needs a response from someone in one of Metro's other divisions, Metro should encourage and facilitate direct communication, via email or telephone, between such an employee and the passenger. The practice of protecting the anonymity of Customer Service representatives and other staff outside this division must end. 9.) Conduct, and Make Public, Quarterly Customer Service Reports. 10. Foster a culture of ridership at Metro. Conclusion We look forward to hearing your response, and we would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person to further discuss these ideas. Sincerely,
Tom Metcalf
Appendix 1. Items to be recorded in bus service review.
Reviewers would ride buses, and observe bus stops as several buses went by. They would record: For a stop: *Did bus stop have the most up-to-date schedule posted? For a particular bus:
Appendix 2. NEW YORK STATE’S METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY
MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
SANTA CLARA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
Appendix 3.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) New Jersey Transit Chicago Transit Authority Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Dallas Area Rapid Transit Regional Transportation District (Denver) Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (Houston) Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (CA) |
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