Unsuck DC Metro: Submit Your Security Questions and Concerns

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Submit Your Security Questions and Concerns

As we mentioned before, this Friday, Metro officials will be giving testimony before the Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives entitled “WMATA: Is There a Security Gap?”

Hill staffers who read this blog are interested in hearing your questions about Metro security and safety. We hear that if there are particularly good questions, with information to support them, those questions will likely make their way to Committee members, so ask away.

The hearing will examine current policies regarding coordination between the jurisdictions that oversee the system and will examine any security gaps that might exist.

Other matters of discussion will include safety and outages.

Sorry, but that's about as specific as we've got.

Witnesses will include Richard Sarles, GM and CEO of WMATA, Chief Michael Taborn of the Metro Transit Police Department, Chief Cathy Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department and Anthony Griffin, County Executive, Fairfax County Government.

The hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. in room 2247 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

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F'n JD · 718 weeks ago

Why isn't a "broken windows" approach taken to combat crime on Metro? Why not start enforcing rules about eating, overly noisy music/earbuds/cell phones and loitering and see if some of the more serious crimes will drop.

On that note - When was the last time Metro police issued a ticket for eating on a train? For noise violations? For having animals on the train? (No joke, saw a woman with a dog in a cloth carryon...twice).

6 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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John · 718 weeks ago

They already do that! They go after the eaters in the less problematic stations and ignore all the muggings, fights etc that happen in the stations w/ the most trouble!

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dddddda · 718 weeks ago

Right...the "broken windows" approach would imply that they would go after these offenses and other minor offenses in stations that are problematic or where they know the problems are coming from. I have seen police at RIA a lot more frequently recently, and they seem to be watching for the NUMEROUS fare-jumpers I see on a regular basis (finally!). Again, these people (largely kids, but some young adults) are the ones causing problems in the system. So are the ones who blare music out of their cell phone speakers (particularly charming when there are several of them playing different songs at the same time); chow down on their lunch/dinner and leave their trash behind on trains, stations, and buses; openly drink in stations and vehicles; smoke in stations; engage in rough horseplay; etc. A broken windows approach would require the police to attend to these matters in the most problematic stations.

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Adam · 718 weeks ago

I will never understand the people who hold up their phones and blast music out of them

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dddddda · 717 weeks ago

Yeah...it's not like the quality from those speakers is any good, and it's not like headphones are SOOOOOOO expensive. But, living in a neighborhood with a few "problems," it seems like a weird cultural quirk. Sure, the guys who live near me who cause all the ruckus have stereos in their homes, yet, they seem to prefer to blast music out of a car and mill about drinking on the sidewalk out front. I don't try to explain it, I just take action to get it stopped if it's extremely late/early.

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bet · 718 weeks ago

":What a bunch of s

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The More You Know... · 718 weeks ago

Animals are allowed on the metro provided they are in a crate or cloth case. http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/faqs.cfm#pets

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@ryanstavely · 718 weeks ago

I would hope that there are some tough questions regarding the bag checks - what are they supposed to accomplish, how do they feel that they'll be effective given that their locations are made available to anyone who cares to look (via twitter and other means) as soon as they're set up and is there really not anything more effective that the officers can be doing other than bag checks?

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inside · 718 weeks ago

Try making your way out of Farragut West during rush hour. Better yet, try from the front of an east-bound train. Even when the escalators are working, it's a complete bottleneck. There are numerous such bottlenecks throughout the system.

Situations like FWest are both a safety and a security risk.

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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MadAsHeck · 718 weeks ago

Agree with above regarding exiting stations. How can it be acceptable to close escalators at BOTH ends of the Union Station platform? This is definitley a security risk in the event of fire, etc., where we need to get out quickly.

In addition, if tools/workers are not available to fix escalators, why are they blocked off instead of being available as "stairs"?

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Guest · 718 weeks ago

Totally agree. If there were ever an emergency, we would have serious problems exiting the stations. HUGE security risk. It just occurred to me....isn't having that many people in one location with so few exit points against the DC fire code? Any lawyers out there that can answer that?

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Mike · 718 weeks ago

Hi,

I am a lawyer and I had that very same question about Shady Grove station. Specifically, the platform has only one access point that can be used in the event of fire (one set of escalators, one stair).

This is already an issue. The current platform is inadequate and people are forced to wait to go down to the mezzanine level. Some times there are hundreds of people waiting to go down.

As if that's not bad enough, the platform at Shady Grove is supported by WOOD. I regret to say that this is a huge disaster just waiting to happen.

I don't know the specifics of the fire code but at one time I did consider looking into the matter. I got so fed up with Metro that I gave up riding it altogether over a year ago. My suggestions to WMATA for metro are as follows:

1. improve platform access (add some stairs)
2.remove carpet from trains (yuck)
3.improve train operator training (current training is laughable)
4. hire more full-time staff and eliminate all overtime
5. eliminate underperforming employees (arrogant station managers, unsafe operators, etc)
6. simplify fare structure
7. eliminate or reduce parking fees
8. add bicycle parking at stations at necessary
9. improve lighting in metro stations
10. end the bag search program (as an attorney I have big problems with these searches)
11. begin police foot patrols in and around stations
12. standardize the station announcements with recorded messages that are clear and easy to understand
13. solve the youth violence and loitering problem at Gallery Pl
14. I would hire non-union labor, since it's nearly impossible to fire negligent and unsafe workers under a unionized system
15. add more paper recycling bins in stations
16. add visual station announcement displays in train cars and/or fix existing station indicators
17. i'd like to know what kind of emergency power backup is installed at the stations for emergency lighting and how often they're tested.
18. fix the escalators. this is a big one. converting some shorter escalators to stairs is fine, but all platforms should have double elevator access.
19. coordinate with the dozen or so police agencies in the area to apprehend offenders using the metro system. problem individuals should receive a probation or ban of some sort.

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F'n JD · 718 weeks ago

I'm a lawyer too.

Mr. JD, please explain what part of the concrete or tile is going to burn in a fire?

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Mike · 718 weeks ago

Some of the platforms are in such a state of disrepair that they are supported by wood boards. Shady Grove in particular is known to have wood supports. There have been newspaper articles on this.

Google search 'Shady Grove station platform' and look at the 3rd photo; you'll see what I'm talking about.

It doesn't take much of a fire to cause a panic resulting in injuries. I've seen people at Shady Grove nearly push each other over when they grow impatient waiting to descend from the platform. There are plenty of fire risks: paper trash and litter on the tracks (as have caused fires in the past), mechanical fires on one of the trains, or a fire in one of the garbage cans...

Panic turns human beings into lemmings, so accomodations should be made in anticipation of this inevitability.

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Thruhike98 · 718 weeks ago

To add to @ryanstavely's question: The bag checks are voluntary. If someone had bad intentions, they would just leave and spend five minutes getting to another station, and enter there. The current method allows for the self-selecting of only harmless customers who consent to the search. Isn't this a waste of WMATA Police, and rider's, time?

What is being done about the groups of youth who become violent and beat random riders for the sport of it? Cases of this are well documented on this site and others.

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Orange line rider · 718 weeks ago

Communication is a critical element in security. The text alerts and PID displays are an improvement, however they are sometimes limited in the information provided. Two years ago when there was the Red Line crash, the alerts said there were delays on the Red Line due to a train incident, which could mean anything from doors not closing, to a sick passenger to a derailment. Customers should have been informed of an accident. When I receive a vague alert or information over the train PA system now, I'm not certain of the degree of the problem and whether I am at risk. The in-train PA system needs an upgrade; most of the time, I cannot understand what the conducter is saying or how long he expects I'll be trapped in the Rosslyn tunnel.

I don't know if it's feasible, but on site security at some stations might be helpful in deterrence. I felt very secure on Metro following the 9/11 attacks when there were roving police moving throughout the stations and on subway cars.

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asdfasdf · 718 weeks ago

The Rockville "bomb" scare was a great example of how Metro is not ready to handle a potential disaster. 50 minutes to get people off a train that might have had a bomb on it?

People so fed up with waiting around without information that they jumped onto the tracks, risking electrocution?

Metro spun that story well, but anyone who thought about it for a moment would realize it was a failure.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Sally · 718 weeks ago

The operator broke metro rules by speaking to the media, she should have let people off the train, she should have used the emergency telephones every so many feet and she should have taken down thrid rail power.

My question is why do these people break the rules, run over and kill people, and still no charges are pressed against these train drivers for killing employees?

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@dstessel · 718 weeks ago

She spoke to the media with our approval. She didn't break any rule. Thanks.

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John · 718 weeks ago

How would people ever evacuate an underground metro station in the event of an emergency? Thanks to David Lacosse, the escalators are in horrible shape and are usually the only way out of the station.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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bet · 718 weeks ago

How do Train operators train for emergencies when they have no drills?

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John · 718 weeks ago

Why do Metro Police focus on minor offenses such as eating, at stations where there aren't major security problems? Shouldn't they be focusing on areas with higher instances of muggings/fights/etc?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Broken Window Theory · 717 weeks ago

Dunno if it's true, but this is likely why one might crack down on lesser crimes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theor...

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Moderate · 718 weeks ago

I would hope the hearing could also highlight successes and where WMATA is acting correctly. And hopefully determine whether the violence and crime that that we hear about is actually a trend or just anecdotal evidence that's been blown up. In the long run, random groups of violent youths are much less important that WMATA protecting us from a terrorist attack or an incident like two years ago.

I think a hearing would want to know whether WMATA has sufficient funding or has allocated its budget in a way that promotes a culture of safety and security. It could examine whether or not there is now sufficient understanding over what bodies directly oversee WMATA in terms of safety and ensuring they implement the recommendations made after the crash. It'd be also good to know if WMATA is focusing on ensuring its employees are equipped to handle an emergency situation or a situation where an escalator fails, injuring many people.

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Moderate · 718 weeks ago

Also, I just saw this story about how bus drivers were ordered to leave without having a safety check. Can metro balance its safety culture with its need to serve cusotmers? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/p...

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@ryanstavely · 718 weeks ago

Is there going to be any report after the meeting?

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Guest · 718 weeks ago

Did you know? These are my questions and concerns.

1. Train Operators are supposed to have gas masks and do not.
2. New guidelines should be written for operators so that if they cannot contact OCC they can evacuate fast.
3. If you try and exit through the emergency escape hatch in the stations/tunnels and the door closes you can not re-enter back to the station.
4. Not all train operators have station keys for escape.
5. In the event of an emergency as did with the false alarm, the train operator could not use her radio. She should have evacuated the riders on the train through other train doors. You can open other doors and get riders off.
6. The public needs to be educated as to how to evacuate in the event of an emergency. These steps need to be posted in the rail cars.
7. Another mode of communication should be available for metro employees in an emergency.
8. Drills should take place for operators and station managers so that it is played out and steps/proceedures are practiced.
9. Why has current management not listed these important steps and why and why am I the one?

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Anon · 718 weeks ago

This is perhaps the nation's foremost authority on security: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/08/ran...

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Guest · 718 weeks ago

I would like more details on what the evacuation plans are, particularly if there are contingency plans for when power is lost. For example, will the turnstiles be open if power is lost, or will people have to move over them, causing difficulty for the infirm, and slowing down the evacuation.

The comments below only apply to the red and orange lines. I don't ride other lines so I don't know if these problems exist on green and yellow:

I would also like to know if there is any kind of plan to determine which in-car public address systems do not work or are distorted and a plan to fix them so that we can hear emergency messages. Even if there is a well-rehearsed evacuation plan, it will not work if it cannot be announced to all of the passengers in the various train cars.

I would like to know if WMATA would consider retraining its train operators to not mumble when giving announcements. Even when the in-train PA system works, it is often impossible to understand what the train operator is saying because they either mumble or talk too fast.

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William · 718 weeks ago

My hope is that the subcommittee will devote most of the time to real safety & security threats (failed equipment, robbers, violent teenagers) and not spend much time on the theoretical terrorist attack, which would best be prevented by good intelligence & investigation, not security measures at the stations.

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dcn8v · 718 weeks ago

I'd like to know why Metro hasn't published some sort of primer for emergencies. In my work building, we have written emergency plans so that in the event of an emergency, people will know what to expect (what alarms sound like, what emergency provisions are in place in the event of a power loss, etc.) and what to do and what to look for. Arguably, many Metro riders are tourists and may not invest the time to learn the system at that level. But I'd bet there's a world of regular commuters that would take the time to review it. Just the extra information might speed up a possible evacuation and save lives. Put it under the "Rider Tools" section of wmata.com.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Guest · 718 weeks ago

And if enough regular commuters know the drill, then they can relay the procedure to the tourists.

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McGruff · 718 weeks ago

If I get assaulted by a Metro Bus driver, am I allowed to fight back?

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Red Line · 718 weeks ago

In addition to the bigger security concerns, I'd WMATA to move forward and improve its efficiency. There aren't enough police to cover the entire system, there aren't enough people to fix the elevators, station managers have a reputation for being rude and unhelpful (which I'm sure isn't much of a morale booster for those managers that are hardworking and professional), we're still a while away from new cars, and as far as I know, there are no plans in place to fix the structural problems such as adding a 3rd rail or adding/fixing station entrances or pedestrian flow patterns that some people have described here. As a customer I feel generally frustrated and the lack of efficiency and customer service. My commute generally takes significantly longer than expected due to delays, and Metro is rather expensive compared to other transit systems in the U.S.

I also think that Metro's new plan to close down clusters of stations every 2/3 weekends for the next year and a half is a reflection of the disconnect between what Metro customers want and what Metro is providing. I am surprised-- how could this possibly make less of an impact on weekend travelers than single tracking?

Also- this weekend, the red line was single tracking between Takoma and Forest Glen. It took me nearly an hour to get from Fort Totten to Silver Spring, and the most frustrating aspect of this delay is that when we finally passed through the single tracking area, the construction workers were sitting around with one guy working. Maybe they were on a break? I don't know. The point is that inconveniences for a paid service are pretty frustrating, and Metro should at least improve communication so that customers are aware that the problem is being rectified and there is good cause for the inconvenience (i.e., the elevators that sit for months and are just blocked off but have no staff repairing them??).

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Patrick · 718 weeks ago

The recent incident at the Rockville Metro station showed that the general public is grossly uninformed about what to do in an emergency within the rail system. Is Metro taking any steps to educate riders about what to do in an emergency? Metro trains its citizen corps to exit on to the tracks as a last resort while these riders went to the tracks without hesitation. This to me represents a gap between what is safe and what is occurring now.