WMATA safety commission taps Mayer as CEO

The newly formed Metrorail Safety Commission (MSC) has named David Mayer chief executive officer, effective June 4.

Lawmakers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. established the commission to serve as the state safety oversight agency for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) rail system.

Currently, Mayer is chief safety officer for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) — a job he started in late 2014. Before his time at the MTA, Mayer worked as managing director at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

"Mayer's 25 years of transportation safety experience and outstanding leadership skills, coupled with his knowledge of complex federal oversight and regulatory practices, make him the ideal person to lead our new organization as we work to help ensure a safe Metro system for area residents and visitors to our region," said MSC Chairman Christopher Hart, who previously served as the NTSB's chairman.

At the NTSB, Mayer oversaw more than 65 major investigations into "high-visibility" transportation accidents, including WMATA's fatal Red Line train collision near Fort Totten station that occurred in 2009.