News release: “Task Force report released today calls for dramatic changes to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to make certain that Metro is a safe and efficient transit system that meets the needs of the Greater Washington region. The key finding of the Task Force is that shortcomings in Metro’s governance structure are contributing to its decline. Therefore, the Task Force recommends crucial changes to the overall governance structure of the Metro system to improve responsibility, accountability, leadership, and performance. Specifically, the panel recommends that the governors of Maryland and Virginia and mayor of the District of Columbia take a much stronger role in selecting the members and chairman of the WMATA board. Key proposals, which would require revision to the Compact that established the transit system, would allow the selection of a chairman from outside the board’s membership, as well as the selection of the most qualified board members whether or not they are elected officials. The group’s overarching recommendation is that signatories to the Compact form a WMATA Governance Commission to make the improvements and hold the board accountable for its performance.”