Responses: 5. Metro

5. DC contributes a sizable taxpayer-funded subsidy to Metro, and many residents depend on Metro for transportation. What role should the DC Council play in shaping Metro policies, such as the bag search policy?

Biddle: The subsidy that the District pays to Metro was part of a management agreement among the jurisdictions served by Metro.  Each jurisdiction appoints representative to the METRO Board. The role of the representatives is to reflect the policies of the jurisdiction at Metro meetings. That being the case, the role of the Council is not to micromanage Metro but to ensure that our representatives reflect our interest when serving on the Metro Board. Councilmember Wells is the Council’s current representative and I am pleased with his performance on the board.

The recent violent events on Metro have shown that the size of the Metro police force should either be increased or supplemented with police departments throughout the jurisdictions served by Metro.

Douglas: I believe that Council should attend to matters that affect the general safety of the public on Metro. We should allow and help facilitate the public weighing in on certain policy decisions before they are made. The Council can initially serve as intermediaries to determine which info deems scrutiny from the public.

Lopez: DC Council should play a significant role in Metro’s policies. If the city is helping to fund Metro, then the city should have a say in matters that affect District riders. In regards to the bag search policy, this is an issue that needs to be discussed thoroughly before I make a decision. I want to ensure that my vote for such a policy is in support efforts that improve the riding experience of DC residents and does not allow them to be subjected to unfair screenings.

Mara: I ride the 64/63 bus and the Green/Yellow Metro lines almost every day. I believe the Council has a vested interest in the direction of Metro and therefore should play an active role in its decision making processes. As the only candidate in the special election who depends solely on public transportation and does not own a car, I believe I am uniquely positioned to advocate on behalf of District residents who depend on Metro and other modes of public transit. I am strongly opposed to the bag search policy because it clearly violates our civil liberties.

Page: The City Council should oppose the bag search policy because they are sworn to uphold the law and the Constitution, the bag search arguably constitutes a constitutional violation, and the District is a party to that violation because we are a major contributor to WMATA. Besides being morally wrong, this situation exposes the District to liability should an individual deprived of the right to use Metro decide to sue to protect her/his rights.

Weaver: I think it's important that representatives from each jurisdiction actively participate in decisions being made by WMATA. I think Councilmember Tommy Wells is a good representative for our city's needs. Like many people, I am adamantly opposed to bag searches; however I am not sure how much control the Council can have over that. Ideally I think the District should have more input over civil liberties and civil rights, but the current General Manager does not share my view. Therefore, we must have a well-informed, strong-voiced advocate on the Board. As a frequent bus rider and Metro user, I would be happy to join CM Wells as a strong and vocal advocate for the people of D.C. I also firmly believe that more citizens' voices should be heard on the Metro Board, perhaps even going as far as having three at-large representatives elected to the Board -- by the residents -- from each jurisdiction.