Thread by @MetroReasons

I keep forgetting when #wmata Board day is. There are so many meetings these days.

Metro received an unmodified opinion of its FY20 financials from the RSM auditing team. There're still some outstanding questions on CARES act funding implications due to lack of guidance/clarity from the Feds, but that's not on #wmata

The auditors (Dan Bonnette) heaped praise on #wmata for how the process went, exchange of info, etc., esp w/everything done virtually. For maybe 1st time in his years on the #wmata account, "I don't think a single deadline was missed by management"

TIL there are different mortality tables that have been developed for public-sector employees as a subset of the overall population.

With 95 public comments regarding Northern bus garage/electrification, Smedberg extended the 10min public comment period to 20min (public commenters want a quicker bus electrification conversion than #wmata is moving)

Dan read the first 10 written public comments; the rest are going to be posted on wmata.com. They're now playing videos which people sent in. #wmata

There seem to be two schools of thought: 1) convert to EV for the environmental effects & neighbors don't experience diesel/CNG exhaust. 2) money better spent on expanding bus service -> remove cars from the road -> more beneficial

https://twitter.com/MetroReasons/status/1319281986763042820

#wmata

(Moving bus garages out of neighborhoods also means buses have to deadhead further to run their routes, which can end up increasing emissions and costs to the agency #wmata)

Moving onto the RAC report, chair Kierig says they're concerned about the lack of widespread distribution of hand sanitizer and masks throughout #wmata bus/rail stations. Metro this week has made some strides towards that goal w/new equipment in some rail stations.

(The Starbucks bag is holding a disposable mask) #wmata

Kierig worked in W3C and Tim Berners-Lee into the RAC report, somehow. #wmata

Smedberg responds to Kierig, says "#wmata has been a leader in the cleanliness and keeping up with...customer safety on its rail cars and buses". Says other agencies have reached out for advice. Also says comms team working hard to let people know stations have masks/sanitizer

Smedberg says #wmata got 3,000 survey responses to FY21 budget changes/cuts (background: ggwash.org/view/79315/fac…)

CSO Impastato update on Red Line pull-apart issue: says she holds "sacrosanct" the integrity of investigations (responding to WMSC finding). Working to enhance investigations, moving past just answering "what happened" but also how/why

#wmata diagram of where the Red Line train 108 ended up (each red block is 2 cars)
Also, pics of the coupler which came apart. Draw bar separated from its buffer tube

What happened: ggwash.org/view/79292/a-m…

Impastato says report of a smoldering crosstie + report of passenger self-evacuations contributed to delays in getting all passengers off the disabled train.
#wmata

Impastato: no evidence of excessive wear or degredation of the coupler which pulled-apart, so #wmata is looking at the coupler overhaul maintenance process. Says similar to the August 25, 2018 Silver Line pull-apart, but too early to link the two.

Coupler assembly moved from Brentwood to Greenbelt, but wasn't sealed w/"protective wrapping" due to lack of materials. Technicians performed torque testing before move, and #wmata found torque stripe on buffer tube/nut was "no longer in tact." Escalated to exec mgmt.

Impastato notes deficiencies in #wmata evidence control process; lack of physical isolation and protection (i.e wrapping), along with lack of understanding of responsibilities among employees for handing investigations.

Pics show moved torque stripe

Impastato concludes, says they intend to respond to the WMSC with their corrective action plan to enhance investigation/evidence controls within the allowed timeframe.

Impastato notes the 2018 pull-apart resulted in part due to an incorrect bolt. Says they don't believe the Red Line cause was due to the same thing. The bolt in the Red Line incident was provided by OEM. #wmata

Impastato to Letourneau: based on interviews w/employees, "no attempts made of nefarious origin" - believe tampering was due to lack of understanding of protocols & lack of evidence securing. Mix of lack of protocols and lack of understanding of compliance. #wmata

Wiedefeld says rail ridership still down 88% and bus down 50% compared to the same time last year. There's a new ad going out this week to emphasize "no mask, no Metro" #wmata

Paul, you're muted. #wmata

Letourneau says NVTC has asked for route-level bus costs to help make decisions about FY21/22 cuts. #wmata

Goldman talking up FLASH, which he calls Montgomery County's "world-class bus rapid transit" system. Featuring off-board payments.
#wmata

That's it for #wmata today. Board now into executive session.

Correx; Letourneau did not specifically name NVTC when talking about this request for route-level budget data; VA jurisdictions individually fund their portions of the #wmata subsidy, unlike DC/Maryland

https://twitter.com/MetroReasons/status/1319297456031617025

Investigators are narrowing in on a root cause of this month’s Red Line train pull-apart #wmata ggwash.org/view/79397/pot…