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Yesterday, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) board pledged to recreate a board safety committee and revise WMATA’s mission statement and board procedures to “underscore the authority’s commitment to safety,” WMATA officials said in a prepared statement.

The pledge was made as part of a process to implement National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations that wereissued following a June 22, 2009, accident involving a WMATA train.

The agency has implemented several of NTSB’s safety recommendations, such as replacing its 1000 series rail cars and appointing a chief safety officer to report directly to the general manager.

The board also has begun receiving monthly reports from the chief safety officer and quarterly reports from the Tri-State Oversight Committee.

In addition, a new safety management system is being developed that tracks safety concerns identified by staff and actions taken.