The 2005 "Rippers" for Worst Agency

This is the opposite side of the coin from the Best Agencies. These "not-so-coveted" awards are based on similar, and often subjective, considerations as noted for "The Best". The agencies below have endeared themselves with vague Construction Documents that lead to high costs, low quality, and lots of those heartwarming telephone calls we all love so much.

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA): Where Quality Control means alot of control and not much quality. And that's just for trackage projects! Railway Age, in their June '05 issue, notes deficit woes and declining ridership.

North San Diego County Transit District: How did this outfit go from first to worst in the blink of an eye? Don't ask the Contractors or Suppliers, they have no clue either. Rumor is that the source of their problems is a word that rhymes with "winter".

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA): Contractor Bankruptcies, Supplier Lawsuits, they must be doing something wrong. More is documented here.

St. Louis Metro Transit (MetroLink): You almost begin to feel sorry for this agency. But after a while, you have to believe that it is more than just bad luck, especially considering the Cross County Project; here is a brief review of the fun. Be advised that Mr. Larry Salci is bringing hope to Metro St. Louis.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): Let's be fair, it is inside the Beltway, so there is a standard of bureaucracy to uphold. The operation is confusing enough that someone has even started a blog (now linked) about them!

Almost ready to slip into the morass of the Bottom Five: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

Those in authority with any of these agencies, once congratulations for receiving a Ripper are out of the way, might want to do some kind of a Prado Diagram to see how improvement is possible.

As with the Rippers for Best Agency, agreements or disagreements are welcome.