Washington, DC – In response to the derailment of a Metro Red Line train in downtown Washington on Monday, January 15, the MetroNow Coalition has issued the following statement:
“We’re relieved that all passengers and staff emerged from the derailment outside of Farragut North station this morning without injury, but we can’t help but imagine a different situation were today not a federal holiday. When people get on the Metro, they should feel confident that it will get them safely from Point A to Point B. Unfortunately, that is not the case; riders’ confidence in the system is shaken by the events this morning and those in the past where all riders did not emerge unscathed,” said a spokesperson for MetroNow, a coalition of regional leaders from organizations representing riders, advocates, businesses and non-profits who have come to together to ensure that action is taken to put Metro on a safe, smart and sustainable path forward in 2018 and beyond.
“This morning’s derailment underscores the urgent need for regional leaders in DC, Maryland, and Virginia to take immediate action to ensure our Metro system is equipped with the resources it needs to be safe and reliable. We need operational reforms, driven by a smaller, independent board, and at least an additional $500m annually in sustainable, dedicated, and bondable funding to support immediate and long-term capital needs.”
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About the MetroNow Coalition
The MetroNow Coalition is a group of regional leaders from organizations representing businesses and non-profit advocates who have come to together to ensure that action is taken to put Metro – the backbone of Greater Washington’s transportation infrastructure – on a safe, smart and sustainable path forward in 2018 and beyond. We are dedicated to securing comprehensive improvement of Metro’s governance, funding and operational structures in 2018. Visit MetroNow.com for more information.
In October, Coalition members commissioned an online survey of 621 registered voters in the District, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia, finding that 94 percent of respondents agreed that the Metro system is valuable to the greater Washington region. In the survey, 70 percent also supported an increase in public funding to improve the Metro system, and 90 percent agreed that without an effective governance structure, the Metro system can never reach its full potential.