Metro Taking Obvious Steps to Improve Communications

I'm pleased to announce that it looks like Metro is taking some very positive steps towards improving communications overall, including their new media relations and outreach. This is undoubtedly a result of the changing of high-level WMATA staff, including the head of communications, according to board member Chris Zimmerman. Greater Greater Washington (one of the best blogs in the city, by far) posted a follow up recently that included a lot more answers to reader's questions. This included three of my own, one of which was about changing out high-level leadership in the organization.

So what has really changed? Well, so far, the biggest indicator is the invitation from the Strategic Communications department to attend a blogger round-table with General Manager John Catoe. While this is a simple gesture, it is very symbolic and shows an outreach initiative that seemed unthinkable just months ago. Let's give Metro a huge applause for this initiative. I'll be attending this round-table tomorrow night in person and will be writing up my thoughts on the conduction of the meeting its self as well as the outcome and future steps.

If you recall, back in September the Washington Post wrote an article about Metro blogs and how Catoe needed to start paying attention to them (and Moving Momentarily was specifically mentioned). I answered that article with a post of my own repeating the call for Catoe to open up a two-way line of communication. Three months later...it looks like we have success! I truly am hopeful this goes in the right direction and has a positive result. Metro, please please please do not let us down on this. You got a good thing started.

If you have questions you'd like for Moving Momentarily to try and address at this round-table, please leave them in the comments.