Here is the entire content of the latest delicious CMTA trashing in the Statesman. Does it seems to anyone else like Mike Martinez is the only person involved in this whole thing who tells the truth and cuts through the crap? Has anyone heard from the other CMTA Board Members? Wow, no totally quiet. I am sure that Brewster is working hard on how he will spin his totally lack of knowledge about anything that happened at CMTA, whereas Mike has already said that he shares responsibility. Brewster is probably talking about how to manipulate that whole thing while he plays golf with Fred Gilliam today. The need a good plan on how to save all those high dollar people, and find some lower pole dupes to literally throw under the bus.

The best part of this is Kirk Watson. Campo had a 'peer review' report done a couple months ago that did not touch on any of this, so now he is all shocked. This shows you again that reports are surface level. Wake up Kirk - you were warned!

CAPITAL METRO
Rail opening on indefinite hold
Further rule violations, system glitches cause delay. Agency accused of making 'scapegoat' of contractor

By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, March 21, 2009

Capital Metro said Friday that it is indefinitely delaying the opening of its Leander-to-downtown-Austin rail service in the wake of further allegations of federal safety violations and because of continued technical problems.In addition, the transit agency called on Veolia Transportation, its rail operations contractor, to fire its local safety director. Capital Metro is bringing in rail officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which has a dozen commuter rail lines in the greater Boston area, "to assist with startup operations and safety implementation." Festivities to celebrate the opening that were scheduled for next weekend at all nine rail stations have been canceled. They were to include short demonstration rides for the public. The opening, which has been pushed back several times, now has no target day. "By May 15, Capital Metro will report back to the community with the status of the project and an action plan," an agency news release said.

A week ago, the Federal Railroad Administration began an investigation into a February incident in which two Veolia train engineers drove their MetroRail trains into a section of track without getting proper clearance. According to Capital Metro rail operations director Bill Le Jeune, they realized their error after a third of a mile, stopped, got proper clearance and then moved on. The violations could result in federal and state fines for Veolia. Capital Metro then decided to delay the March 30 rail opening by as much as a month but said opening events set for March 27 and March 28 would proceed. But on Thursday, according to Le Jeune, the railroad administration accused Veolia of seven violations, alleging irregularities related to"efficiency testing" and poor documentation of hearing and vision tests on workers. On Friday, Capital Metro, which is still trying to fix a problem with signal crossing gates that in some cases don't come down quickly enough, applied the brakes to the project.

Those efficiency tests, Le Jeune said, involve testing workers on rules and procedures. Veolia, he said, had not done all required testing. Veolia officials noted that the company is the majority owner of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., the passenger rail operator for the Boston transit agency that Capital Metro is bringing in to help. "That's ironic because we run that system," said Ron Hartman, executive vice president for rail with Veolia. Veolia's five-year contract there was recently extended three years. Hartman said Veolia disputes the allegation that its efficiency testing was inadequate and will make that case to federal regulators. He said that the hearing and vision tests had been done and that documents supporting that will be filed immediately. Hartman also said that the replacement of the safety director was already under way and that Capital Metro was told that about two weeks ago. Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez, who also serves on the Capital Metro board, has been increasingly critical of the agency in recent weeks. He said Capital Metro officials, citing lost costs for caterers and arrangements for a multitude of volunteers, had resisted his calls over the past week to cancel the opening celebrations next weekend. Martinez said the agency is making a "scapegoat" of Veolia and its safety director.

"Other folks are going to have to accept their responsibility as well," he said. "It really brings into question the competence of the organization." In May 2007, Capital Metro awarded Veolia a $112 million contract to run its freight rail operation and passenger rail through 2013. That included at least $9.4 million annually for the commuter rail line, not including fuel, which Capital Metro will pay for separately. Veolia, a French company that also provides drivers and mechanics for a dozen or more Capital Metro bus routes, began working with Le Jeune and other agency officials on the emerging passenger rail operation. It has hired about a dozen engineers and a dozen dispatchers. But on-track training, which was expected to begin in early January, was delayed about six weeks because Capital Metro did not have the track control system ready. At that point, with further testing under way, the crossing signal problem emerged. At several points along the line, Le Jeune said, trains have to slow to 15 mph at intersections to give signal arms enough time to lower.

State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, has filed legislation that would revamp the Capital Metro board. "I continue to be disappointed in what seems like a weekly drip, drip, drip out of Capital Metro," he said. "I worry that (the bill) doesn't go far enough." Watson said he is considering a requirement that Capital Metro undergo "a top-to-bottom analysis and justification of approaches, policies and actions," with recommendations for improvement."We need," Watson said, "an effective, functioning transit agency in Central Texas."

bwear@statesman.com, 445-3698