Photo by erin m on Flickr.

The Washington Post has an op-ed from me in their Local Opinions section this morning. It lists some important issues which need Richard Sarles’ attention, now that he’s become WMATA’s longer-term CEO instead of interim General Manager.

Dear Richard Sarles,

Congratulations on being appointed chief executive officer of Metro.

You’ve already made a lot of progress as an interim leader. You’ve started creating a culture of safety and fixing unsafe conditions. You’ve stabilized a rudderless organization. You’ve published concrete performance metrics and commissioned assessments of problem areas, like escalators.

Now that you’re going to be staying for a while, there are some big long-term problems that need your attention.

Those issues are customer service, Metrorail capacity, bus priority corridors, a long-term funding plan, and Metro’s internal culture. Read the whole piece on the Post Web site.

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.