TYSONS CORNER, Va. 鈥� Rep.聽Barbara Comstock, D-Va., said safety is the first priority for Metro, but said the system needs to make changes to its 鈥渂loated鈥� system.
鈥淭he bloated system and the pension system, we know, is out of whack,鈥� Comstock said.
Comstock made the remarks during a . Her comments come as Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld considers ways to overhaul the entire system. The Metro is already in the midst of an for its entire commuter rail system.
Comstock said the safety culture and the聽work聽culture need to change at Metro.
She also was critical of Metro鈥檚 spending and said聽Metro costs more to run than transit systems in Boston, San Francisco and New York.
鈥淭hose are very expensive cities, yet we run well ahead of them, 鈥渟he said.
Contracting out repair work could help defray costs, she said.
鈥淭he maintenance records that we talked about at the hearing, we鈥檙e paying about $50 an hour for maintenance work with the current Metro contract,鈥� Comstock said, 鈥渂ut Davis-Bacon wages, which are the union rate, are only about [$30] for this work.鈥�
Comstock said they鈥檙e looking at what else can be contracted out, perhaps parking and Para-Transit, so then聽 Metro鈥檚 focus can be on safety and reliable.
