Obama Administration Considers Federal Oversight Of Mass Transit
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The Obama administration is weighing a plan for the federal government to take over safety oversight of the nation's mass transit systems.
The move comes in response to a growing number of collisions and derailments on subway and light-rail systems, including the fatal June 22nd crash on the Washington, D.C. Metro.
Unlike airplanes and highways, the nation's subways systems are currently run by state agencies with no federal oversight.
New York Senator Charles Schumer says he's supportive of the plan, if it provides help to the city.
"We need help, mass transit dollars for infrastructure to allow a lot of the safety requirements to be met should come from Washington, and there was a long period where mass transit was sort of squeezed by the federal budget,” he said. “Now it's getting better, but if they're going to have these subway safety standards, they ought to not leave it on the backs of just the transit riders to pay for them, they ought to be federal help for them."
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it has not had a chance to look at the proposal yet, but released a statement, saying, “...The MTA's top priority is the safety of our customers and we look forward to working with the Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration and Congress on practical and cost-effective ways to enhance safety industry-wide."