Metro officials are working to make trains more secure, give them a more modern look and increase their capacity in response to riders’ concerns.
In light of terrorism on subway trains in Spain and London within the past few years, one of the primary concerns of transportation leaders and residents is the safety of passengers and security of Metro, officials said.
Lisa Farbstein, public relations director for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, said Metro is planning to send representatives to London to examine the Metro Underground where the bombings occurred last summer to research ways to prevent similar events from happening in D.C.
“We are sending a few people over there to work with the London Underground and police to see what can be done about the July Bombings,” she said.
Metro has also continually increased the number of officers on patrol in the subway system and added more K-9 units – dogs that have been trained by officers to detect bombs in the trains. Metro has also installed state-of-the-art chemical sensors in high-risk stations.
Vince Morris, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams’ press secretary, said the mayor is satisfied with the Metro and how its directors are handing security issues, despite its vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks.
“For the most part, the Metro is exceptionally safe. The mayor has a great deal of confidence in the system and the armed police force. There are lots of closed- circuit cameras and lots of good secondary measures in the wake of a terrorist attack,” Morris said. “You can never be too cautious, but for the most part the Metro is doing a good job with security.”
In addition to improving security, Metro is also working to increase the capacity and efficiency of its cars. The new railcars would contain up to 32 fewer seats and 40 percent more handrails. Poles near the doorways would be replaced by handrails that extend from the seat backs to the ceiling – a change expected to entice riders to move down the aisles and prevent people from blocking the doors.
Metro’s Board of Directors, which is responsible for making policy decisions for Metro, recently proposed a plan to conduct a $783,000 study on 24 test cars, in three different configurations, to research the impact of the changes. Metro also plans on renovating other railcars as well this spring. If Metro officials decide to approve the design, it could take several years to reconstruct its 952 cars to include it, officials said.
Metro officials also intend to create a new streetcar system similar to one in Portland, Ore., that holds more passengers and would include more stops in order to help better connect the city. They are in the process of buying three streetcars from Portland to use as a prototype.
“These streetcars are expected to be able to carry passengers next year, connecting the city with other parts of D.C., particularly the Anacostia,” said Metro Planning Manager Tom Herrington at a Metro town hall meeting last week. “These railcars can hold more passengers than a bus, but can maneuver like a bus on the street.”
Herrington added that the city is also considering creating more bus stops along K Street to make the trip faster for passengers traveling from Georgetown to Union Station.
