Metro’s new General Manager Randy Clarke begins Monday

WASHINGTON - New Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke is taking over as leader of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Monday.

Clarke is replacing General Manager Paul Wiedefeld who retired earlier this year after more than six years in charge.

Clarke comes from his position as president and CEO at Capital Metro in Austin, Texas where he served since 2018.

The transit agency faces many challenges as Clarke takes control including the sidelining of the 7000-series rail cars due to safety concerns, delays to the opening of the second phase of the Silver Line, and low ridership that has been an issue since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke 

FOX 5 spoke with Clarke after he was selected about the issues he would focus on first. "I think there's some initial tactical things that's have to get resolved like the 7000-series - that's clear - no one in the region will debate that," Clarke told FOX 5 earlier this year. "Silver Line Phase 2 has to get completed and set up correctly. The bus network redesign needs some effort put behind that as a region because bus customers are as important as rail customers and there's a lot of value in how we move that forward."

Clarke also wants to prioritize and focus on WMATA's business and funding model for the region.

Clarke tweeted that he and other Metro leaders would be greeting riders on from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at L'Enfant Plaza Station at D Street (between 6th & 7th Streets) and the Plaza Mall Concourse at 9th & D Street.