Week of June 21st

Statement

his week marks the one year anniversary of the crash at Fort Totten Metro Station that claimed the lives of nine people, injured more than 80 others, and forever changed the lives of the families and survivors of the most tragic transit crash the Greater Washington Area has ever experienced.

As we commemorate the lives of those lost in this tragedy we must work to ensure that an incident like this is never repeated. For me, this serves as a constant reminder for what I must work for as a U.S. Senator. We must do everything we can to strengthen public safety standards and enforcement for public transit systems and provide Metro the much needed funding to invest in safety enhancements within the system. I am redoubled in my effort to help provide Metro the necessary resources.

In response to this lapse is public safety policy I, along with other members of our regional delegation, introduced legislation requiring the Secretary of Transportation to establish and implement a comprehensive transit Public Transportation Safety program that will give the FTA the ability to take decisive actions such as conducting inspections, investigations, audits, and examinations of federally funded public transportation systems.

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