b'InsightsRole of IT in the Delivery of Rail Service: Insights from Al Short, Chief Information Officer, Washington Metro Area Transit AuthorityBy Michael J. KeeganThe Washington Metro Area Transitpart of a publicprivate partnership that operates the D.C. Authority (WMATA) runs theCirculator bus system. WMATA has its own police force, Washington D.C. Metro system, athe Metro Transit Police Department. Today, we run about powerful economic engine for the1,500 busses and 118 miles of rail across the area. We national capital region, connectingsupport the entire DMV area, about a million trips a day residents in the state of Maryland, thebetween Metros various modes of transportation, including Commonwealth of Virginia, and thebuses, rail, and metro transit.District of Columbia to jobs, housing, entertainment, and schools while providing transit serviceHow does your office support Metro in meeting its transit for close to 20 million visitors each year. missions? In 2018, Metro achieved a milestone with the creation ofI lead the Information Technology (IT) department for the Authoritys rst dedicated capital funding. The capitalWMATA and report to the executive vice president of investments WMATA seeks to undertake in the comingInternal Business Operations who reports to the general years will focus on improving the safety, reliability, andmanager. My organization is responsible for everything affordability of its operations. By focusing resourcesfrom fiberoptic rights-of-way along the railroad to standard on rebuilding, reforming, and improving Metro, thisenterprise resource planning (ERP) associated with finance, transit system can adapt and grow to meet the needsprocurement, and HR to the public facing website. Our IT of this dynamic region. What role does informationdepartment is involved in supporting the systems that technology plan in making this a reality? How is WMATAenable the Smart Trip card to maintaining the technology using technology and innovation to enhance customersfor running our rail system. It is a 24/7 operation, experience and improve its operations? Al Short, chiefencompasses a gamut of applications, and is made up of information officer at WMATA, joined me on The Businessabout 600-plus professionals between contractors and full-of Government Hour to share his insights on these topicstime employees.and more. The following is an edited excerpt of our discussion, complemented with additional research. What has surprised you most as CIO? What is WMATA?Recently, I was surprised that if you lay out all of the fiber optics we support end to end, we have two million Commonly known as Metro, it was formed in 1967 by amiles of fiber along our rights-of-way. Another example is tri-jurisdictional compact between D.C., Maryland, andthat the IT organization brings in something on the order of Virginia (DMV) and an act of Congress. WMATA provides$10-plus million a year in revenue for WMATA through rapid transit service under the Metrorail name, fixed-routeleasing of rights-of-way to various carriers in the area. The bus service under the Metrobus brand, and paratransitrights-of-way across the DMV area is a very valuable service under the MetroAccess brand. The Authority is alsoresource for the Authority. As we move forward with the 44 www.businessofgovernment.org The Business of Government'