Beset by a series of high-profile, infrastructure-related service disruptions on its Metrorail transit system, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is formulating plans for an accelerated system-wide rehabilitation program aimed at restoring safety and reliability by mid-2017.
The proposal, which WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced on May 6, aims to carry out three years’ worth of work within one year on the 117-mile network. “This is a massive undertaking—no doubt about it,” he said.