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Metro vows to improve communication
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Metro Police and officials discuss the re-opening of the DuPont Circle station in August after a suspicious package shut the station down and caused delays on the Red Line.
Washington, D.C. (Map, News) - Metro officials promised this week that the transit system has begun to improve its much-maligned communications with customers during emergencies and service disruptions.
Dispatchers, station managers and train operators have been directed to provide passengers more information about the cause of serious delays, update their announcements frequently and give riders details about alternative routes.
A communications specialist will be stationed in Metro’s operations center during disruptions to focus on getting timely information to passengers and the media. Station managers will be issued portable radios and microphones, so they can quickly receive updates and then relay the updates to passengers.
“It’s a big understatement to say we need to do a better job communicating with customers,” said Ray Feldman, a special assistant to Metro’s deputy general manager.
“If a train needs to be offloaded, we need to tell riders what the problem is and when the next train is coming. If there’s a problem on the Red Line, we need to let people know they may want to take the Green Line instead.” Passengers and members of Metro’s board of directors have long complained about the garbled announcements in trains and unexplained delays.
The transit system decided to emphasize improving communication after riders were left stranded and bewildered when massive electrical problems hobbled rail service for two days in August.
“I think Metro can do a much better job communicating with passengers,” said Michael Snyder, chairman of the Riders Advisory Council.
“Unfortunately it took two very significant events for them to decide they could definitely do better.”
Metro also will update brochures at its rail stations to show bus routes riders can use if trains are delayed.
“Metro gets a bad rap for a lot of things that I think are unfair,” said Chris Zimmerman, who represents Arlington, Va., on the transit system’s board of directors.
“But communication with our customers is one area where I have been very frustrated in trying to get change. We have to figure out better ways to communicate with our customers during emergencies or when things don’t work.”
