WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a long-awaited resolution Tuesday that allows Maryland, Virginia and D.C. to take back primary responsibility for safety oversight of Metro.
The resolution grants federal permission to the states and the District to enter into the legal compact required to create a safety watchdog with real enforcement power.
The Federal Transit Administration temporarily took over safety oversight responsibilities after determining that the previous agency was ineffective and bogged down in jurisdictional disputes.
While the Metro Safety Commission can now be set up, staff still need to be formally hired and offices need to be established before the FTA certifies that the group is ready to take over oversight duties.
Until then, the U.S. Department of Transportation continues to withhold transit funding from the three jurisdictions due to the years-long delay in standing up the commission.
