Obama Pushing for Federal Oversight of Transit System

Investigators at the scene of the June Metro crash in Washington D.C. (Charles Dharapak/AP)

The Obama administration will attempt to give the federal government control over safety regulations for the nation's subway and light-rail systems. You know who else controlled an entire nation's transit system? Mussolini. But he made the trains run on time! (Or did he?) At any rate, Obama's plan would expand the U.S DOT's control over airlines and Amtrak to every subway and light-rail system in the country, including the MTA. The proposal will be presented to Congress by the end of the year.

Senator Charles Schumer supports the proposal, telling WBCS, "We have federal standards for highway safety, for airline safety, and having it for subway safety is a good thing." For balance, the news show also gets an insightful perspective from straphanger Mildred Chandler, who says, "I think too much is put on the federal government, that's my opinion." And the MTA issued a statement saying, "We look forward to working with (federal officials) and congress on practical and cost-effective ways to enhance safety."

The proposal was motivated in part by the fatal June 22nd crash on the DC Metro's Red Line. In an interview with the Washington Post, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "After the [Metro] train crash, we were all sitting around here scratching our heads, saying, 'Hey, we've got to do something about this.' And we discovered that there's not much we could do, because the law wouldn't allow us to do it." And in recent months, the FBI has been riding the nation's rail and bus system with handheld radiological devices that detect nuclear and biological-weapons. One official tells the NY Post, "The nuclear, biological, chemical issue is now the most concerning and feared because of its mass-casualty possibilities."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on November 16, 2009 4:36 PM

Comments [rss]

ma bell

i'm shocked...shocked i say. he truly is the best in the world at everything. there is not a single thing anyone can do that obama can't do better.

NYC Justice

I blame Denzel Washington and John Travolta

ANGRYGOD11

I hope you aren't forgiving John Travolta's mustache.

brunning

(whoops.. was supposed to be a reply to inoyourider, post #1)

inoyourider

I clearly have.

The present-day MTA is garbage.

The only reason the subway is still working is because of work done decades ago.

As far as I'm concerned the Fed's should take the whole thing, and anyone currently employed by the MTA should be forced to find a more fitting line of work, like cleaning public bathrooms.

brunning

clearly you have not ridden the mass transit systems in many large american cities.

ANGRYGOD11

Obama might be the only current major politician who could have taken the only free subway seat away from me, back in the day. It couldn't have been that long ago he was a regular rider on Chicago's CTA.

It might seem like a good idea, but the problem with federal standards is when they stop being the bottom floor to set minimum standards and become the ceiling. There is also a huge age difference in subway system like NYC (100+ years) and Denver (We have a subway system?).

Snoopy

I kind of agree with you. Can you put your same thoughts in a paragraph that I can understand?

ANGRYGOD11

OK.

Obama is the only current politician who could have been in the same subway car with me, when he was a Columbia University student.

To avoid local and state regulations special interest groups could find it easier to lobby for lower national standards.

Federal standards may not be applicable to mass transit systems due to the great differences in age and size.

You're Welcome.

Snoopy

LIGHT RAIL! LIGHT RAIL! Idiots light rail is only a different version of trolley cars. Dedicated bus lanes will do the same thing. HOV lanes are suppose to do the same thing but with an individual approach.

The stuff they are talking about are safety issues. How many fools they already have looking over the situation?

Obama is clueless about everything around him. I just hope he lives out his term and lives long and happy just like Billie Carter.

Dan

Good luck. The NYC Subway is not a railroad.

Some light rails and have FRA oversight.

The PATH (former Pennsylvania RR) and LIRR are regulated by the FRA.

jaycjay

Reading comprehension, people.

The proposal is simply that the federal government establish and enforce safety regulations on subway and light-rail systems.

It doesn't "give Obama complete control" of anything, it doesn't "give other states a say" in "how the MTA runs," it won't look at the performance of unions or management.

Just like there are federal regulations regarding air travel (even trips entirely within one state or even one city), there would be federal regulations regarding rail travel. That's all.

commisioner gordon

so instead of Albany and the state of NY determining how the MTA runs, we want states like Mississippi, Alaska, Montana to have a say as well?

silver

You want wonks driving hummers from their mcmansion subdivs telling the MTA what to do.

zpk

This infringes upon my right to ride a dangerously unsafe subway train.

negtive

If this fixes the walking disaster that is the MTA, I'm all for it.

S.D.

"You know who else controlled an entire nation's transit system? Mussolini."

LOL, fan of "The Daily Show"?

I can see them saying that too!

JacqueMehoff

sounds good to me.

maybe he can start a WPA type program rehabilitating the elevated lines infrastructure and the neglected stations.

how hard is it to handle a paint roller?

silver

Not happening. OSHA wants respirators and contact irritation protection. EPA wants lead abatement and VOC capture.

EastRiver

You can throw all the government money and regulations you want at our subway stations. It will still take 10 years to rehab one station (Columbus Circle?) and they will still inevitably rebuild it the way it was: cramped and leaking.