Daniela Berson
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) The Protect Riders of Metrorail Public Transportation Act (PROMPT) is expected to pass in Congress, according to D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.
The PROMPT Act will give the federal government direct safety oversight of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA), so that any major issues with the transit system will be brought to the attention of the federal government.
“One thing that can’t wait is safety, and by putting safety in federal hands, at least until the three jurisdictions have formed an aparatus to take over safety themselves, we are close to, I think, bringing relief to our Metro riders,” Norton said.
The Act is a temporary fix to ensure that Metro is held accountable for lapses in safety protocol while Maryland, Virginia and D.C. governments work on the creation of their own oversight committee.
It is one of many acts in the House Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, legislation designed to change how the government oversees public transportation systems.
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