Federal Transit Administration officials say they saw Metro employees using their personal cellphones inside the system's control center, a new scathing report reveals.
An incredible 90 safety issues were pointed out in the report — 77 on the rail side and 13 on the bus side.
The report by the Federal Transit Administration says miscommunication is leading to some Metro maintenance personnel showing up to fix problems with the wrong parts. The report goes on to say that Metro's own central control center, which is supposed to go through a safety certification process every year, has not gone through that process in years. The report also points out systemic issues when it comes to proper training within Metro.
"These are serious findings that strongly indicate that, despite gains made since the Fort Totten accident, WMATA's safety program is inadequate," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx.
The FTA report says that since the deadly 2009 crash, certain safety changes have not been carried out.
Metro says it has implemented change and made progress in strengthening safety measures for riders. Metro says it will continue to cooperate with the FTA and follow its recommendations.
