Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Chris Conklin has been elected chair of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC). This comes three years after his appointment by Governor Wes Moore as a WMSC commissioner representing Maryland. The WMSC oversees the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (WMATA’s) rail system safety plans, procedures, and programs.  

“It is no surprise to me that Chris Conklin was selected for this important position,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “His knowledge, experience, and leadership have been invaluable to our County and his levelheaded and strategic approach to challenges will lead the safety board and serve WMATA’s Metrorail workers and their riders well.”  

The WMSC is an independent agency created in 2017 by Congress and Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. First managed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), safety oversight of WMATA Metrorail was transferred from FTA to the WMSC in March 2019. Among other responsibilities, the board reviews Metrorail’s safety plans, conducts safety incident investigations, ensures Metrorail’s progress on Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), certifies new safety-critical systems, and sets the Program Standard outlining how WMSC staff conduct their crucial oversight work. The WSMC is comprised of six commissioners and three alternates appointed by Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia and is supported by a staff of around 20 engineering, systems, and administrative professionals. Each commissioner must have experience on transportation safety or related fields.    

“I am honored to serve as chair of the WMSC and to guide the Commission’s professional oversight of Metrorail safety,” said Conklin. “The safety of our transportation systems is always a top priority, and I look forward to working with our state and federal partners to build on the WMSC’s strong oversight record of Metrorail’s safety program. We have a great opportunity to continue a program that is based on accountability, robust audits, and incident investigations, while also incorporating novel data and trend analysis tools to more effectively and proactively identify and address safety risks. Through these activities and through collaboration between the WMSC and Metrorail’s leadership and workers, continued gains in safety for transit customers and workers are achievable. Guiding this work at the regional level is both a responsibility and an opportunity to make a meaningful impact and I hope to make a difference in this role.”  

Mr. Conklin was appointed director of MCDOT in 2019 by County Executive Elrich and confirmed by the Montgomery County Council.  He joined the County in 2016 when he was appointed as deputy director for transportation policy. Prior to joining the County, Conklin served Montgomery County and other clients on a variety of assignments as a consultant with a nationally recognized engineering firm, where he was also a member of the firm’s board of directors and led their National Capital Region practice.      

As director of MCDOT, Conklin is responsible for all Montgomery County transportation capital projects and operations including highway maintenance, traffic operations, streetlighting, transit operations, public parking facilities, and a multi-billion-dollar capital program. Upon joining the County, he was instrumental in the early stages of MCDOT’s direct federal funding program for transit, securing over $300 million in new federal funding, and over $750 million in state and federal awards over the last five years for a variety of projects and programs. Conklin has represented the County in regional transportation planning, greenhouse gas reduction plans, and served on efforts in 2017 and 2025 to secure long-term funding for WMATA.    

Mr. Conklin is also active with the County’s Vision Zero safety program, overseeing implementation of pedestrian, bicycle and traffic safety projects like protected bikeways, improved street crossings, sidewalks, speed reduction measures, and traffic controls. The Vision Zero program is based on a safe systems approach and has yielded a 29% reduction in serious and fatal collisions on the High Incidence Network, where most serious collisions occur and is the focus of the County program. With this progress, Montgomery County’s serious and fatal crash rates are nearly 25% lower than that of the Metropolitan Washington region as a whole.   

During his tenure at MCDOT, Mr. Conklin has overseen  many County and projects including the construction of the new headquarters for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, realignment of major roads in North Bethesda, construction of a new entrance to the Medical Center Metro Station, coordinating the County’s participation in the Purple Line, and implementation of Bus Rapid Transit. He has also played a critical role in several notable private redevelopment projects including the Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda, the United Therapeutics campus in Silver Spring, the Lakeforest Mall redevelopment in Gaithersburg, and Pike & Rose and the WMATA property redevelopment in North Bethesda.       

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Mr. Conklin holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and two master’s degrees in transportation and technology policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a licensed professional engineer in Maryland and Massachusetts.   

“Chris Conklin’s strong expertise and dedication to safety and improving our local transportation system make this recognition well-deserved,” said County Executive Elrich.