yoruba swaga paper

LAGOS MEGA-CITY, WITH AN ATTITUDE

custom search 3

Custom Search
http://news.google.com/

Translate

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

MILO VICTORIA,WASHINGTON HISPANIC, WMATA,

De mecánico a ejecutivo
Hispano llega a las altas filas de METRO

Milo Victoria, de origen mexicano, estará a cargo de las operaciones de los autobuses y adicionalmente supervisará todas las actividades relacionadas con el mantenimiento y el servicio al público usuario. ?Foto Alvaro Ortiz/Washington Hispanic.


Mitzi Macias
Washington Hispanic


“METRO abre puertas” es el eslogan de la agencia de transporte del área metropolitana de Washington y la llegada de Milo Victoria, de origen mexicano, como jefe de Operaciones de Autobuses es una muestra de que la organización no sólo ofrece nuevas oportunidades de empleo para los hispanos sino también que tiene como principal misión garantizar un sistema de transporte seguro y eficiente, pero al mismo tiempo en la búsqueda de un mayor acercamiento a la comunidad latina del área.

“Una de las tareas que me han encomendado es averiguar por qué no hay tantos hispanos trabajando para METRO. Cuando llegué a la oficina pensé que no habían hispanos en la ciudad, pero me he dado cuenta que no es así y que nuestra agencia debe representar a la comunidad a la que sirve”, dijo a Washington Hispanic, Milo Victoria.

Milo Victoria empezó como mecánico en el mundo del transporte y debido a su dedicación y gusto por su trabajo se ganó la confianza de sus jefes que decidieron enviarlo a perfeccionarse para luego ir escalando posiciones.

De mecánico, pasó a líder de planta, luego a asistente de gerente hasta llegar a la gerencia de una agencia de transporte en California.

“Como cualquier joven pensé que trabajaría como mecánico sólo por un tiempo, pero como me gustaba la mecánica la aprendí bastante bien. Después de 20 años decidí regresar a la universidad y creo que mi iniciativa y las ganas de hacer las cosas fue lo que motivó al señor Catoe –actual administrador general de METRO- para contratarme y colocarme en esta posición”, relata,

Catoe antes de llegar a Washington DC trabajó para la agencia de transporte donde trabajaba Victoria.
Con este nombramiento, Milo Victoria se convierte en el primer hispano en integrar las filas ejecutivas de METRO y, desde allí no sólo podrá tomar decisiones sobre las operaciones de los autobuses sino que impulsará la participación de los hispanos para integrar la fuerza laboral de METRO y lo mismo en lo que respecta al uso del servicio.

Según las estadísticas que maneja METRO, el uso del sistema de transporte público por parte de los latinos es mínimo representando sólo el seis por ciento del total de pasajeros que utilizan el sistema de autobuses y sólo cuatro por ciento con respecto al uso de trenes.

METRO transporta a diario más de 700.000 personas en tren y más de 500.000 en autobuses por lo que se está estudiando la manera de realizar una publicidad más efectiva que tenga como objetivo llegar con más fuerza a la comunidad hispana.

Por un lado, está el tipo de mensaje y por otro el costo de las tarifas que es una de las principales causas del por qué el latino no utiliza el sistema.

“Felizmente, este año se logró controlar el déficit del presupuesto de METRO sin alterar las tarifas, pero se está evaluando de qué manera se realizará un aumento paulatino de los precios para responder adecuadamente a la elevación del costo de vida en los próximos años”, expresó Joanne Ferreira, portavoz de METRO para la comunidad hispana, quien considera que la contratación de Victoria constituye un gran ejemplo para la comunidad hispana y una gran ventaja al tener a un líder dentro de la agencia que se preocupará por las necesidades y preocupaciones de la comunidad.

“Necesitamos modernizar”
A una semana de asumir el cargo, Victoria se encuentra en el proceso de conocer al personal y cómo trabaja el sistema, pero en este corto tiempo ha podido darse cuenta de las necesidades que atraviesa la agencia.

Uno de los principales problemas que ha encontrado Victoria es todo lo relacionado con la seguridad, mas aún al llegar precisamente durante una racha de accidentes de autobuses que han puesto en alerta a la comunidad.

“No es fácil, pero se puede mejorar muchas cosas. Lo primero modernizaré los talleres de mantenimiento de los autobuses y en algunos casos trasladaré algunas que necesitan más espacios para garantizar que se realice un buen trabajo de mantenimiento de los autobuses. Tenemos buenos trabajadores que si les damos los instrumentos necesarios realizarán un buen trabajo”, garantiza Victoria.

Por otro lado, Victoria asegura que para ofrecer un mejor servicio se debe entrenar a todo el personal para que sean culturalmente sensibles y sientan orgullo del trabajo que realizan.

“Debemos tratar a los empleados como ellos merecen, pero también debemos exigirles un buen trabajo. Deseo cambiar la percepción que al chofer no le interesa el pasajero y para eso hay que educar a los choferes y a los pasajeros. Nuestros empleados deben entender que sin los pasajeros no existimos”, expresó Milo Victoria.

Monday, May 14, 2007

SMARTRIP, DC METRO,COMMUTERS,

SmarTrip?
accepted on bus systems in
Maryland
and
Virginia

Regional acceptance continues through the summer


SmarTrip® cards are now accepted for more than just Metrobus and Metrorail fares, and Metro parking fees. The acceptance of SmarTrip® cards for payment on public transit throughout the region is well underway and scheduled to continue through the summer.

RideOn bus riders in Montgomery County began paying their fares with SmarTrip at the end of April and DASH riders in Alexandria have been able to pay with SmarTrip since February.

In May, Fairfax County Connector buses, CUE (city of Fairfax) and Loudon County Commuter Bus will install SmarTrip® fareboxes and begin accepting the reusable, plastic fare card for payment. PRTC OmniRide and ART (Arlington) are scheduled to follow this summer.

“The regional acceptance of SmarTrip® will make taking public transportation throughout the Washington metropolitan area easier as riders will only need one form of payment for the entire trip,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “The ability to use SmarTrip® on Metro, DASH, RideOn and other buses in Maryland and Virginia helps us make public transportation a more attractive option for the region.”

Metro first introduced the SmarTrip® card in 1999 as a fast and convenient way to pay for Metrorail fares. Customers simply tap their cards to the target on the faregate to enter the station, rather than feeding paper farecards through the gate. To further speed SmarTrip® card users through stations and encourage more people to use the plastic farecard, Metro installed SmarTrip®-only express lanes at five stations last year. Currently, 64 percent of Metrorail riders use SmarTrip®.

In 2004, Metro expanded the SmarTrip® capability to Metrobus riders by installing SmarTrip® fareboxes on its entire fleet of buses. On some Metrobus express routes, 93 percent of riders use SmarTrip®. Overall, about 22 percent of all Metrobus riders pay their fares with SmarTrip®.

Metro riders have made SmarTrip® a popular way to pay for bus and rail trips, and since its launch eight years ago, more than 2.3 million cards have been sold.

“SmarTrip® is a fast and easy way to pay for bus and rail trips,” Catoe said. “Rather than fumbling with paper farecards, paper transfers, dollar bills and loose change, they just tap and go.”

Customers can purchase SmarTrip® cards online at www.MetroOpensDoors.com, at Metro sales offices, retail outlets and commuter stores, or from vending machines at Metrorail stations that have parking facilities. Customers can load up to $300 in value on a SmarTrip® card and should register their cards with the SmarTrip® Regional Customer Service Center. If a card that is registered is lost or stolen, the value on the card at the time it was reported is not lost and Metro will send the rider a new card for a $5 replacement fee.

For information about SmarTrip® visit www.MetroOpensDoors.com. For information about regional bus service, see the “How to travel” section of the Web site or go to http://www.wmata.com/riding/getting2metro.cfm.

Monday, May 7, 2007

RIDING DC METRO, DC METRO,

Metro Events and Promotions
Also see Riding Metro to major sports and concert venues.
Metro to events
Take Metro to Europe: EU Open House (May 12, 2007)
Fiesta Asia Street Fair (May 12, 2007)
"Save the Bay" with Starbucks (April 3 - May 14, 2007)
Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure (June 2, 2007)
Sounds in the Square Concerts in the Golden Triangle (May 10 - August 9, 2007)
Bodies....The Exhibition (April 14 - October 28, 2007)
Register Your SmarTrip® Card and Get a free Day in a Zipcar (February 26 - December 19, 2007)
Take Metro to Europe: EU Open House
Take Metro to Europe: Cross Borders without Leaving DC during the EU Open HouseDon't miss your chance to see Europe in a day on May 12, when the embassies of the European Union member states open their doors to the general public during the first ever EU Open House.
The European embassies plan to offer District residents and visitors a colorful and family friendly program that will include food, music, and art. Of course, visitors will also get a rare behind-the-gates look at the European embassies, many of which are among Washington's historic and architectural highlights. Find out more at http://www.europe-in-dc.com/.
The current list of participants includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, and the Delegation of the European Commission to the USA.
Free Metrobus shuttles will depart at regular intervals from Dupont Circle and make stops at the participating embassies while the embassies are open between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Shuttle routes and embassy addresses will be posted at www.europe-in-dc.com.
Use the Metro Trip Planner to plan your trip.

Fiesta Asia Street Fair
Saturday May 12, 200711:00 AM - 7:00 PMPennsylvania Avenue, between 3rd and 6th StreetsWASHINGTON, DC
FREE ADMISSIONTAKE METROBUS OR METRORAIL TO OUR FESTIVAL!We are gearing up for our 2nd annual National Asian Heritage Festival a.k.a. Fiesta Asia in the Nation's Capital in the month of May! This year we have a variety of events & activities happening all throughout May - from fashion show to food tasting, from speaker series to movie screenings, from free weekly live performances to walking tours, there is something special for everyone. On top of all, our Grand Celebration - Fiesta Asia Street Fair will be expanded this year with 3 live stages and a new Health Pavilion! Other attractions include a cultural parade; live performances by dancers, vocalists, musicians, and martial artists; multicultural food and open market vendors; interactive cultural displays; craft exhibits; a lion dance showcase; information services and much more! You can also check out the latest developments & other events online at http://www.asiaheritage.org/ Together let's make the 2007 Fiesta Asia a fun & exciting celebration!
Street Fair highlights include:
First DC Lion Dance showcase
Cultural parade
Free health screening
Happy hour and drinks special
Seven hours of entertainment
Free meditative yoga sessions
Hands-on cultural arts and crafts activities for all age groups!
For more information, please contact info@asiaheritage.org / 202.470.0899
Metrorail Stations:Archives Metro Station (Green/Yellow Line)Federal Center Metro Station (Blue Line)Judiciary Square Metro Station (Red Line)Metrobus Lines: Number 30, 32, 34, 35, 36

"Save the Bay" with Starbucks
Starbucks is working in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to promote "Save the Bay". On Tuesday, April 3rd from 6:00 am to 9:30 am, Starbucks will be handing out FREE coffee travel mugs outside selected Metrorail stations. For every refill customers buy between April 3rd and May 14th, Starbucks will donate 10 cents to "Save the Bay".
Stop by Metro Center, Bethesda or Farragut North Metrorail stations on April 3rd, pick up a FREE mug and buy a refill to help support "Save the Bay".

Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure
On Saturday, June 2, Susan G. Komen for the Cure will host the 18th Komen National Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. More than 50,000 participants from across the country, including more than 3,000 breast cancer survivors, will join together at the 5K event as a living testament to the power of one person making a difference. Each year, a minimum of $1 million raised from the Komen National Race funds breast health and breast cancer programs in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland. The remaining dollars support the Komen Award and Research Grant Program, which has invested more than $180 million dollars over the past 25 years in groundbreaking breast cancer research.
Register online at http://www.nationalraceforthecure.org/ or call 703-416-RACE (7223) for more information.
Race Day Schedule6:45 a.m. Pre-Race Rally7:00 a.m. Parade of Pink8:00 a.m. Runner Start8:15 a.m. Walker Start9:30 a.m. Post-Race Events10:30 a.m. Kids' Race
Pre/Post Race Celebration: Take Orange or Blue Line to Federal Center SW, Green or Yellow Line to Archives Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter, Red Line to Judiciary Square.
Start Line: Take Orange or Blue Line to Federal Triangle, Green or Yellow Line to Archives Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter, Red Line to Metro Center.
Use the Metro Trip Planner to plan your trip.

Sounds in the Square Concerts in the Golden Triangle
Get ready to make the Sounds in the Square concerts your new after-work hot spot in the Golden Triangle.
The free after-work concerts kick off May 10, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and continue every Thursday through August 9 at Farragut Square Park, Connecticut Avenue and K Street, NW.
The Sounds in the Square concert series features local and regional artists, representing genres ranging from rock to pop, reggae to country.
As a concert attendee, you'll also receive an "all access" wristband entitling you to discounts and special deals at bars, restaurants and other businesses in the Golden Triangle.
Avoid the rush hour. Stick around and wind down after a busy work week or to kick off the weekend. Visit http://www.gtbid.com/ for details.
Take Metrobus or Metrorail to the Sounds in the Square concert series. Metrorail stops in the Golden Triangle: Farragut North (Red) and Farragut West (Blue/Orange). Metrobus: Routes L2, L4, S2, S4 and the DC Circulator bus.
Use the Metro Trip Planner to plan your trip.

Bodies....The Exhibition
Innovative. Real. Groundbreaking. Bodies...The Exhibition is a must see at The Dome in Rosslyn. This striking new exhibition showcases real human bodies, giving visitors the opportunity to see themselves in a fascinating way like never before. Bodies...The Exhibition will enlighten, empower, fascinate and inspire.
Opening April 14 at The Dome in Rosslyn, 1101 Wilson Boulevard, just steps from the Rosslyn Metro station and minutes from Arlington Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial. Tickets are on sale NOW at: http://www.bodiestickets.com/ or call 888-BODIES-9. Use code METRO to save $5 on tickets!
Take Metrorail to the Rosslyn Metro station on the Orange/Blue lines or Metrobus routes 3A, B, 4A, B, 5A, 15K, L, 38B or use the Metro Trip Planner to plan your trip.

Register Your SmarTrip® Card and Get a free Day in a Zipcar
Metro riders, Do you use SmarTrip® ? If so, you're in luck! Zipcar is now at 60 Metrorail stations, so to celebrate, Metro and Zipcar will be at Metro stations throughout the area all year long giving away prizes. There is one catch: you have to register your SmarTrip® card (we'll give you one if you don't already have one) and/or join Zipcar when you come by to get your surprise. Everyone who registers their SmarTrip® cards at one of our on-site computer stations will not only protect their fare value if is lost or stolen, but also receives a free day in any Zipcar* when they join as a new member and a spin of our prize wheel. For a schedule of events or to find out more information, go to www.zipcar.com/metro.
Promotions

Friday, April 27, 2007

METROPERFORMS,ART IN TRANSIT,LIVE PERFORMANCES,DC METRO STATIONS.

Auditions for MetroPerforms! begin
Warm up those vocal chords. Shine those tap shoes. Dust off those violins. Metro’s Art in Transit program and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities will hold the first auditions on May 10 and May 12 for live performances at Metrorail stations.

The MetroPerforms! program invites local performers to showcase their talents at select Metrorail station entrances. Through the audition process, Metro and local arts councils will select the participants to perform near designated Metro station entrances from spring through fall and during the December holiday season. Performances are scheduled to begin in early June.

“MetroPerforms! supports the talents of local performers, enhances both mass transit and pedestrian travel and promotes the arts throughout the region,” said Michael McBride, Metro’s Art in Transit program manager.

Local arts councils have partnered with Metro to establish performance criteria. The arts councils also are responsible for holding the auditions and selecting the performers who will play at stations in their respective jurisdictions, and can choose to pay stipends to the performers.

The artists selected after the May 10 and 12 auditions will perform at stations in the District of Columbia. Currently, Metro is working with the Prince George’s County Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County for upcoming auditions and performances at Metrorail stations in Maryland.

Performances will take place at designated station entrances (to be determined) at a distance far enough away from station stairs and escalators to ensure clear access for people heading into or out of Metrorail stations. In addition, participants in the MetroPerforms! program will not be permitted to sell merchandise, nor ask for money from the public while performing.

The DC Arts Commission auditions take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, at Metro headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC. Individuals and groups interested in auditioning for the program should bring a photograph and a one-page biography or resume. Auditions are first-come, first-served.

If selected, participants will be notified and the performance schedule will be announced in May. Performers selected to participate in MetroPerforms! are subject to criminal background checks by the Metro Transit Police Department, required to wear a Metro-issued identification badge while performing and must cooperate with Metrorail station managers and Metro Transit Police to ensure that performances do not compromise station access and the safety of Metro customers and the general public.

MetroPerforms! is a one-year pilot program developed by Metro Art in Transit in conjunction with local arts councils served by Metro to enhance the experience of transit users and pedestrians.




Return to homepage

Friday, April 13, 2007

WMATA, DCMETRO BUDGET,

Local: News | Business | Politics | Sports | Entertainment | Comment | Editorial
Rep. Davis: Metro needs more oversight on overtime and pensions

Washington DC Examiner
by Scott McCabe, 5 hrs ago, WASHINGTON
Rep. Tom Davis said an Examiner report revealing how Metro spent $70 million in overtime was evidence that the agency needed more oversight and an independent inspector general.


Metro faces budget shortfall
5 hrs ago, WASHINGTON
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will likely have to tap a reserve fund to balance its budget by the end of the fiscal year.

Software error sparked fire
5 hrs ago, WASHINGTON
A software malfunction led to the fire on a Metrorail car Sunday that forced the evacuation and closure of the Waterfront station, a transit system official said Thursday. The incident concerned Metro officials because it happened on one of the system’s new 6000 series cars. Steven Fiel, Metro’s chief operating officer for rail, said the computer software in the railcar that controls the flow of electricity did not redirect the current away from equipment on the car’s undercarriage as it should have, causing the equipment to heat up and catch fire. Fiel said the problem is being corrected in the 152 railcars that use the software.
More from The Washington DC Examiner

Thursday, April 12, 2007

DC. EXAMINER,

Today's Most Popular
1. Metro drivers make $100,000 in pay
2. Blog - DC in Pictures
3. Yeas & Nays: Thursday, Apr. 12
4. Hernandez Steals Show From Dice-K
5. Metro staff hop on overtime gravy train
6. Many questions remain in police shooting
7. WTO: China Overtakes U.S. in Exports
8. Pension formula sends costs soaring for Metro
9. Orangutans Play Video Games at Ga. Zoo
10. Blog - Today in History

METRO GRAVY TRAIN,WMATA PAY SCALES,SIX(6) DIGITS EARNERS, DC. TRANSIT SALARY LIST,

Metro drivers make $100,000 in pay
1 hr 25 ago Metro drivers make $100,000 in pay

Printer Friendly | PDF | Email
Apr 12, 2007 9:05 AM (1 hr 25 mins ago)
by Joe Rogalsky, The Examiner
Font Size: a a A A
Current rank: # 1 of 23,758

(Greg Whitesell/Examiner)
Thirty bus and train operators took home more than $50,000 in overtime. WASHINGTON (Map, News) - More than 100 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bus and train operators took home paychecks topping $100,000 in fiscal 2006 because of lush overtime earnings that have skewed Metro’s budget and sent pension costs spiraling out of control under a uniquely generous employee retirement plan.


Overall, Metro paid its employees $70 million in overtime in 2006 and is on track to spend the same amount in this budget year, according to a recent audit report, continuing a trend of high overtime costs that have plagued Metro’s budgets for years.



WHO'S MAKING WHAT


See complete list of Metro Workforce Compensation 2006



Roughly $30 million of the overtime payments went to Metro’s 2,400 bus operators and 500 train operators, 125 of whom earned more than $100,000 that year. Another 284 hourly Metro workers in other departments earned more than $100,000 because of overtime. Only 180 of Metro’s salaried management employees earned more than $100,000.

In some cases, the overtime wages accounted for nearly half of an operator's annual paycheck, meaning the employee is working significantly more than the usual 40 hours each week. Thirty operators took home more than $50,000 in overtime.

The two highest-paid train operators, who earned $153,759 and $152,891 respectively, earned $74,208 and $73,659 in overtime. The highest-paid bus operators collected $127,653 and $126,457, received $53,696 and $52,490, in overtime. In other cases, overtime accounted for almost 50 percent of an employee’s paychecks in 2006.

Overtime hours are paid at 1 1/2 times the employee's usual hourly rate, making regular use of overtime expensive. Metro General Manager John Catoe, who took over in January, hopes to reduce overtime as part of his strategy to cut costs and keep Metro’s budget balanced.



RELATED ARTICLES


Metro staff hop on overtime gravy train

WHO MADE A KILLING IN OVERTIME: Metro Workforce Compensation 2006 Overtime List




Overtime work costs Metro more than other regional transit agencies because the system's retirement policy includes overtime payments when calculating pension payments, a rarity in transit agencies elsewhere. The policy means Metro is paying vastly higher pensions to employees than they would receive if their retirement payments were based on regular hourly earnings.

The increasing cost of pensions was one of the chief reasons Metro officials cited when they proposed fare increases in December. Catoe has since shelved the fare-increase idea while he looks for new ways to slice spending.

Metro Board of Directors member Ray Bricuso said the rich overtime system “needs to stop. An employee who makes $65,000 can work a lot of overtime their final years on the job and make $100,000 a year. That would increase their annual pension to about $80,000 for what is really a $65,000 job.”

Stopping this practice may not be easy.

Metro’s employee union enjoys immense clout when it negotiates contracts with Metro’s board, which is not profit-focused like the board of directors of a private company. They are political appointees and often are also elected officials, who are concerned with pleasing voters — such as Metro’s 10,000 employees.

“The make up of the board is heavily political, let’s leave it at that,” Metro Board Chairman Charles Deegan said.

Even with the lavish pension system, Metro has difficulty attracting top job candidates because of its unusual hiring practices.

Until recently, Metro required that bus operators spend up to a year as part-time employees, positions that come without the health insurance and other benefits of full-time employment. Metro also has a long-standing policy that it will hire only bus operators to fill open train-operator positions.

Some board members say they think these policies make it hard to expand the work force, which would allow Metro to cut back on overtime. These practices also saddle Metro with a large pool of inexperienced bus operators because many job candidates do not want to start off earning a part-time salary with no benefits.

Critics of the system believe that lack of experience is one reason Metrobus operators have been involved in so many accidents in the past year. None of the highly paid, experienced drivers were involved in any of the crashes.

Even as its fiscal situation grows more dire, Metro is expanding its service, creating a higher demand for bus and train operators. Metro Chief Bus Operating Officer Jack Requa said the agency has expanded its training program for bus drivers to get more new hires behind the wheel sooner.

Metro’s high overtime outlays would suggest that the system is short of personnel. Metro reports having just 70 vacancies out of 2,400 bus operator positions.

“It may be that we should hire more operators,” Catoe said. “We need to consider hiring more operators if it means cutting down on overtime.”

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com


Examiner

WMATA, JOE ROGALSKY, DCEXAMINER, DCTRANSIT EMPLOYEES,UNION WORKERS

Others hop on overtime bandwagon
4 hrs ago Others hop on overtime bandwagon
4 hrs ago Pension formula that includes OT payments sends costs soaring
4 hrs ago Metro drivers raking in overtime
2 days ago Fort Meade keeps marching into history
21 days ago Commuters give weeks to the ride
24 days ago Iraq War: Four years of battle abroad and at home
31 days ago ‘Just us girls’: The charter schools saga
31 days ago Soldier boxes way to a good fight
38 days ago Convention center stunts area growth
38 days ago The new kid on the block

Printer Friendly | PDF | Email
Apr 12, 2007 3:00 AM (4 hrs ago)
by Joe Rogalsky, The Examiner
Font Size: a a A A
Current rank: # 85 of 23,393
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority makes hefty overtime payments to more employees than just bus and train operators. Personnel putting in lucrative extra time include police officers, station managers, mechanics and maintenance workers.


“Overtime is something we should be watching across the entire system,” said D.C. Council Member Jim Graham, who chairs the Metro Board of Directors’ budget committee. “It is expensive no matter who is getting it.”

Out of the seven overtime-eligible Metro employees who earned more than $150,000 in fiscal 2006, five were members of the Metro police force. The two highest-earning officers worked in the force’s field operations division. The top-paid officer made $78,488 out of his $162,768 salary from overtime and the second highest-paid officer took in $158,586 overall, $71,318 from overtime. Both made more than their boss, Metro Police Chief Polly Hanson, who earned $145,307.

Other workers putting in a lot of overtime include the supervisor of car inspection at the Brentwood Rail Facility, who made $67,637 of his $144,537 pay by working overtime. The highest-earning station manager, who runs New Carrollton, took home $143,183 after chalking up $68,590 in overtime.

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

DCMETRO PARKING, SMARTRIP ALTERNATIVE,CASHLESS,

Credit card payment tested at Metro lotsCustomers can use a credit card to pay for parking at six stations beginning Monday, April 2.The three month pilot program aims to give riders an alternative method to pay for parking at Metro parking facilities. Currently, all customers must pay for parking with a SmarTrip card. Metro parking facilities have been "cashless" since May 2004.Over the past several weeks, the parking office has overseen the installation of credit card readers at the parking facilities at Anacostia, Franconia-Springfield, Largo Town Center, New Carrollton, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and Shady Grove. Each garage will have one exit lane that accepts both credit cards and SmarTrip cards.Directional signs informing drivers about the appropriate credit card exit lanes also will be posted.The launch of the $700,000 pilot program coincides with the start of the tourist and cherry blossom seasons in the region. During the springtime Metro sees many new riders, occasional riders and tourists— a group that typically does not use SmarTrip.

LASGIDI PERMANENT 1

amazon80h150w

amazo w468

dcmpit searchresultpage