Dear Chairman Mendelson,
With Councilmember Jack Evans’ resignation from the board of the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority after an investigation found he knowingly violated WMATA ethics rules, you have the responsibility of appointing a new board member who will uphold the highest ethical standards.
The Sierra Club asks that in addition to appointing a person of undisputed integrity, you also select a strong advocate for a public transit system that serves District residents in a reliable, timely and equitable manner. The Sierra Club believes the person for the job is Councilmember Charles Allen.
Councilmember Allen sits on the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee and he serves on and previously chaired the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. Unlike most of his Council colleagues and previous DC representatives on the WMATA Board, Councilmember Allen is a regular Metrobus and Metrorail rider.
For DC to have someone who actually rides Metro serving on the WMATA board would be invaluable. Metro has faced years of steep ridership declines amid deteriorating service. Metro riders understand this reality far better than motorists who have the privilege of disobeying parking laws. Ever-increasing bus and rail headways – especially on nights and weekends – and repeated shutdowns along lengthy rail segments are not sustainable. This worsening service drives people away from Metro and into cars, which results in more air pollution and emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.
The Sierra Club asks you to appoint Councilmember Allen to the WMATA board because he understands the challenges facing Metro and would take a sensible approach to fixing them while maintaining the well-deserved reputation for good character he has earned as a member of the DC Council.
Sincerely,
Mark Rodeffer
Chair, Sierra Club DC Chapter
CC:
Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, Ward 1
Councilmember Jack Evans, Ward 2
Councilmember Mary Cheh, Ward 3
Councilmember Brandon Todd, Ward 4
Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5
Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Councilmember Vincent Gray, Ward 7
Councilmember Trayon White, Ward 8
Councilmember Anita Bonds, At-Large
Councilmember David Grosso, At-Large
Councilmember Elissa Silverman, At-Large
Councilmember Robert White, At-Large
June 27, 2019