Metro board: If you like transit, then you should put a rider on it

When Metro Board of Directors member Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins stepped down in late June, it left one of DC’s two precious voting Board seats vacant. Now is the time to fill it with another transit rider who brings a real-life, wheels-on-the-ground appreciation for how Metro’s policies and performance affect riders.

A member who adds to the Board’s diversity would further strengthen Metro’s ability to serve its diverse ridership.

It’s not just understanding how dry technical decisions mean significantly different services for people who depend on this vital public service. It’s about centering major decisions and planning on Metro’s most valuable asset: riders.

What do Board members do, anyway?

The WMATA board serves an essential role in keeping our regional transit system running. It’s tapped with determining policy and providing oversight for the agency’s finances, operations, and capital expansion. The Board consists of up to eight principal (or voting) members and eight alternate (non-voting) members, with DC, Maryland, Virginia, and the federal government each able to appoint two principals and two alternates. DC’s Mayor and Council are each able to nominate a principal member, with Council approval required for the Mayor’s pick. Gidigbi-Jenkins’ departure leaves the traditionally Council-appointed seat vacant, giving Chair Phil Mendelson the opportunity to nominate a rider.

Deputy Mayor of Operations and Infrastructure Lucinda Babers (also a transit rider) was appointed as DC’s other voting member in May 2021. One alternate seat has been held by policy consultant Tom Bulger since 2011. This may seem to lessen the urgency, because DC’s interests are represented. But having both principal DC seats filled by members with pro-transit perspectives will strengthen WMATA’s resilience during a challenging time. Having both seats filled makes it easier for members to serve on the Finance and Capital and Safety and Operations Committees.

During her time at Metro, Gidigbi Jenkins was able to support many important, long-due improvements such as elimination of the transfer penalty. She also championed measures like the Metrobus Service Guidelines, which allow Metro to set standards that center equity in bus planning and measure their performance accordingly.

Both Gidigbi Jenkins’ and Babers’ appointments demonstrated a welcome departure from an unfortunate era in DC’s Board membership that was plagued by accusations of corruption.

A smooth transit-ion?

WMATA’s budget got a much-needed reprieve from the drastic cuts threatened by the pandemic as one recipient of the federal aid distributed to transit agencies across the country earlier this year. But WMATA needs a plan for when those funds dry up in a few years. It’s vital that whatever they come up with prioritizes innovation and vision, rather than service cuts, which could both hurt low-income riders the most and undermine WMATA’s value as a cornerstone of our economic recovery. A transit rider will grasp that dynamic and be able to guide Metro’s planning accordingly.

After a summer break following their July meeting, the WMATA Board will next meet in mid-September. The Chair can ensure they get fiscal year 2022 off to a strong start by appointing a rider to the vacant principal seat.