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Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty have agreed on a plan of action to jointly address safety concerns at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

The agreement follows a series of discussions between area transportation leaders on improving transit safety at WMATA and its oversight agency, the Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC).  

WMATA and the TOC have undergone scrutiny since a June 2009 train accident on the Red Line, including congressional and National Transportation Safety Board hearings, and a Federal Transit Administration Audit TOC must respond to by May 4. Congress also is considering legislation that would require U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to establish a public transportation safety program governing transit systems such as WMATA, and enable states and regions to institute their own safety oversight programs.

O’Malley, McDonnell and Fenty agreed on a short-term plan that calls for implementing an enhanced interim oversight program for TOC that wouldn’t require “time-consuming procedures or negotiations,” they said in a prepared statement. A TOC Policy Committee would be established to conduct monthly reviews and report requirements.  

Under a long-term plan, the three jurisdictions agreed to establish either of two safety oversight programs. The jurisdictions also could either create a legally authorized public transportation safety oversight body — a Metro Safety Commission — or rely on the federal government to oversee WMATA’s safety.

“Our regional transit safety plan will strengthen the oversight of Metro by putting in place a program capable of meeting, or even exceeding, proposed federal requirements in the federal legislation and addressing the FTA audit,” said McDonnell.