Heather Curtis
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) A local watchdog told WMAL’s Mornings on Mall Thursday, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority needs to communicate better with riders about the impacts Safe Track work will have on their commutes.
The first safety surge starts Saturday, and many local leaders don’t think commuters are planning ahead. FIX WMATA’s Chris Barnes said the transit agency isn’t doing enough to keep riders up to date.
Back in 2011, when WMATA launched a $5 billion maintenance program called Metro Forward, the agency started separate Twitter and Facebook accounts to keep riders up to date.
“There was all this outreach for two-way communication with riders to answer questions. I’m not seeing that this time. It’s more of a one-way communication, and I’m worried that’s cutting off people’s ability to ask these important questions like, ‘how do I get around?'” Barnes said.
So far, WMATA has handed out flyers, posted signs in stations and tweeted out links to the full plan and safety advisories from its official account, but Barnes doesn’t think that’s enough.
“They need to open a channel of communication,” Barnes said. He’d like to see more information on social media.
The first safety surge starts Saturday and will have continuous single tracking, meaning even at rush hour, on the Orange and Silver lines from Ballston to East Falls Church. That work will continue through June 16.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: WMATA)
