Heather Curtis
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has hired former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to do an independent top-to-bottom review of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“We all know WMATA has faced some very serious problems over the past few years, and we need to take a hard look at where we can reform the agency to better support the region’s residents and its economy,” said McAuliffe in a press release.

LaHood will be assessing the role of the transit agency’s board of directors, its long-term financial stability, and labor policies. He will also be comparing Metro to other transit systems in the country in terms of costs and expenses, governance, funding levels, cost recovery, maintenance costs, and rail safety incidents.

After his assessment, LaHood will come up with recommendations about what Metro can do to keep operating costs down and maintain enough money to operate.

A final report will be issued in November.

“I have the utmost confidence in Secretary LaHood and I will support the recommendations that result from this top-to-bottom independent review. It’s long past time to make smart reforms that ensure WMATA’s financial stability and long-term success,” McAuliffe said.

Virginia Metro Board Member Jim Corcoran called the study a big step forward and urged all the jurisdictions to get on board with it.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan supports the study. According to the Washington Post, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has suggested she would welcome the project if it succeeded in creating a regional sales tax or other dedicated funding for Metro next year.

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