WASHINGTON - It's been called the toughest job in the transportation industry.
And Friday marks nearly a month since Richard Sarles took over as Metro's interim general manager.
In an exclusive one-on-one ride on the rails with WTOP, Sarles talks about his first days on the job and the future of the transit agency.
Sarles took the reins at Metro at the beginning of April, following the abrupt retirement of previous general manager John Catoe.
"It's a great place, and it needs work," Sarles says of the transit agency.
When Sarles took over, he noticed some immediate issues that needed to be addressed.
"The first place you have to spend your money is safety and a state of good repair, so I wanted to make sure that focus was there. And because there has been so much reorganization [at Metro], we just have to strengthen the organization. There are good people here, but there are not enough of those good people."
Sarles also wants Metro to be transparent and open in its day-to-day operations.
"You will see while I am here -- or I hope you will see -- that I am not secretive. If people share information, get it out, and are not afraid to say, 'Hey, there's a problem here' -- then we can address [problems]."
Sarles has put together a six-month plan for Metro that he expects will deliver results.
The main focuses of the plan -- safety, service reliability and budget.
"We've got some goal posts we've got to get to in various time stages over the next six months especially."
What does Sarles think about all the scrutiny surrounding the agency?
"I've been there," he says.
As a former head of New Jersey Transit, Sarles is no stranger to the tough media routine.
Last year, New York newspapers were calling for him to step down after complaints that it took too long to get a huge crowd home after a U2 concert at Giants Stadium.
"They wanted me fired," he says.
Sarles signed a one-year deal with Metro to become interim general manager. The understanding is that he will step aside when a permanent GM is selected. And what if Metro's board of directors decides that Sarles should stay?
"What I say to that is that I made a commitment to be here for only a short time, that's what the board wanted. They did not want me to be a candidate and distract them from that search [or a permanent GM] so I am sticking with that commitment."
But while he is here, Sarles has some huge challenges to navigate. Most notably, what could potentially be the largest fare increase in Metro's history.
"I will say, what's going on here is going on all over the country. In fact, what's going on here -- as tough as it is -- when you read the headlines in New York or Chicago, they've had to do more drastic things. Riders have to expect to bear a portion of the costs."
As far as his overall goal?
"My legacy, I hope, is that I came here for a relatively brief period of time, and was able to help stabilize [Metro]and fill-in vacant places in the organization, so that the next person who comes in will have an organization that is in better shape than when I came here."
(Copyright 2010 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
WASHINGTON - It's been called the toughest job in the transportation industry.
And Friday marks nearly a month since Richard Sarles took over as Metro's interim general manager.
In an exclusive one-on-one ride on the rails with WTOP, Sarles talks about his first days on the job and the future of the transit agency.
Sarles took the reins at Metro at the beginning of April, following the abrupt retirement of previous general manager John Catoe.
"It's a great place, and it needs work," Sarles says of the transit agency.
When Sarles took over, he noticed some immediate issues that needed to be addressed.
"The first place you have to spend your money is safety and a state of good repair, so I wanted to make sure that focus was there. And because there has been so much reorganization [at Metro], we just have to strengthen the organization. There are good people here, but there are not enough of those good people."
Sarles also wants Metro to be transparent and open in its day-to-day operations.
"You will see while I am here -- or I hope you will see -- that I am not secretive. If people share information, get it out, and are not afraid to say, 'Hey, there's a problem here' -- then we can address [problems]."
Sarles has put together a six-month plan for Metro that he expects will deliver results.
The main focuses of the plan -- safety, service reliability and budget.
"We've got some goal posts we've got to get to in various time stages over the next six months especially."
What does Sarles think about all the scrutiny surrounding the agency?
"I've been there," he says.
As a former head of New Jersey Transit, Sarles is no stranger to the tough media routine.
Last year, New York newspapers were calling for him to step down after complaints that it took too long to get a huge crowd home after a U2 concert at Giants Stadium.
"They wanted me fired," he says.
Sarles signed a one-year deal with Metro to become interim general manager. The understanding is that he will step aside when a permanent GM is selected. And what if Metro's board of directors decides that Sarles should stay?
"What I say to that is that I made a commitment to be here for only a short time, that's what the board wanted. They did not want me to be a candidate and distract them from that search [or a permanent GM] so I am sticking with that commitment."
But while he is here, Sarles has some huge challenges to navigate. Most notably, what could potentially be the largest fare increase in Metro's history.
"I will say, what's going on here is going on all over the country. In fact, what's going on here -- as tough as it is -- when you read the headlines in New York or Chicago, they've had to do more drastic things. Riders have to expect to bear a portion of the costs."
As far as his overall goal?
"My legacy, I hope, is that I came here for a relatively brief period of time, and was able to help stabilize [Metro]and fill-in vacant places in the organization, so that the next person who comes in will have an organization that is in better shape than when I came here."
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