Metro General Manager Richard Sarles
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-04-02/metro-general-manager-richard-sarles
Richard Sarles is in charge of one of the busiest public transportation systems in the country - the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The logistics and politics of the Metro can be complicated - and for those who depend on it getting around isn't always simple. Sarles joins Kojo to talk about safety, customer service, fare structures and the long-term future of the system.
Guests
Richard Sarles
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
Looking forward to today's show on Metro. I have a couple of good things to comment on:
1) There's a Blue Line conductor who sounds exactly like Morgan Freeman, and I LOVE his announcing. He ALWAYS says, "Good Morning, and welcome aboard the blue line train..." at every station. And announces, "Here we are at __ Station..." prior to every stop. He has a nicely long monologue at each station, and I imagine him up front, smiling broadly while he tells everyone on the train and the platform to have a good day. His cheerfulness really gets my day started off right!
2) Every time I call the SMARTRIP line for help, the people on the phone are always courteous and helpful. ALWAYS. I have received some outstanding customer service on these phone lines, and that says a lot. You're definitely doing something right here.
3) Kudos for the awning over Foggy Bottom escalators. Now it would be good if the escalators worked again, and if the stairs would open.
I've been on a few other public transit systems, and I agree - Metrorail is the best. It's not perfect, but no public transportation is.
I don't like paying more - my commute from Springfield to Foggy Bottom is already about $10 a day. But I believe in public transportation, and I'm glad we have a clean, reliable system to utilize.
Angel from Springfield
How often does the management of Wmata use the metro? Richard what is your rush hour commute? How often have you been harassed by gangs of teens? How would you feel about implementing a 100% metro commute for all management personalities? Looking forward to seeing you during rush hour.
Richard Sarles,
Good lighting in Metro rail stations helps people with partial sight travel safely and independently. There are quite a number of stations that have poor lighting. We have been working with Glenn Millis and a bus / rail subcommittee at WMATA to identify specific issues and try to resolve them. There is more work to be done but I wanted to say "thanks" to all as we've seen improvement at approximately 25 stations. We look forward to working together on this with WMATA.
President
National Capital Citizens with Low Vision