News Release

For Immediate Release 
January 25, 2010

NCPC Executive Director Appointed to WMATA Board

Washington, DC – Marcel C. Acosta, executive director of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) will take the oath of office as an alternate director to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors on Thursday, January 28. Mr. Acosta’s appointment is one of four posts established in accordance with federal law (P.L.110-432) and the WMATA compact, which ensures federal representation on the WMATA Board and $1.5 billion in federal funds for safety-related capital investments over the next decade. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the news in a release issued yesterday. In addition to Mr. Acosta, GSA appointed Mortimer L. Downey to serve as director. Mr. Downey previously served as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation and as executive director of the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority.

“Both Mort Downey and Marcel Acosta have a long history of exceptional public service and will bring a wealth of relevant experience and knowledge to the Metro Board of Directors,” said GSA Acting Administrator Stephen R. Leeds. “With more than 70 years of combined experience in transportation, sustainable development, urban planning, and public administration, Mort Downey and Marcel Acosta will be valuable additions to the WMATA Board.”

Mr. Acosta has more than 25 years of experience in urban and transportation planning. He joined NCPC in 2001 as its deputy director prior to assuming the role of executive director in 2007. While at NCPC, he has helped shape policies to strengthen the region’s transit system. Mr. Acosta guided the development of the agency’s transportation element in its award winning Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: Federal Elements, which encourages alternative commute modes, ridesharing, telecommuting, and biking. He also played a strategic role in collaborating with local entities to launch the Circulator transit system that was first envisioned in NCPC’s Extending the Legacy plan.

Before joining NCPC, Mr. Acosta served as senior vice president with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the nation’s second largest transit system. As CTA’s chief planner, he developed new capital programs and oversaw successful initiatives that increased ridership and reduced operating costs for the city’s bus and rail systems. Prior to his role at CTA, he served as deputy commissioner at the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

As head of the federal planning agency for the National Capital Region, Mr. Acosta understands the federal government has a critical interest in supporting an effective and reliable public transit system that meets the needs of federal workers, local residents, and visitors throughout the region. Mr. Acosta is a resident of the District of Columbia, and a daily Metro rider who does not own a car.

“This appointment is an opportunity to partner with the region’s leaders to make wise transit choices that can maximize reliability, accessibility, and affordability of a transit system that must serve the needs of our ever growing region,” said NCPC Executive Director Marcel Acosta. “As the region’s largest employer, the federal government has a huge stake in improving the quality and infrastructure of the area’s transit system. More than 40 percent of rush hour commuters on Metrorail are federal employees, and at NCPC, more than 90 percent of the agency’s employees commute daily via the Metro system, including me. I am personally committed to helping create a stronger, healthier transit system that will better serve this region and be a showcase for the nation.”

“The appointment of Marcel Acosta to the WMATA board is an excellent choice,” said NCPC Chairman L. Preston Bryant, Jr. “As former senior vice president of the Chicago Transit Authority Marcel brings with him a depth of knowledge and experience regarding the daily operations and management of the country’s second largest transit system. At NCPC, he is committed to shaping policies that strengthen our region’s transportation system.”

Mr. Acosta received a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a 2001 Loeb Fellow from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

The Metro Board of Directors determines agency policy and provides oversight for the funding, operation, and expansion of transit facilities. The new federal appointments will be seated at the regularly scheduled WMATA board meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 28, 2010.

The National Capital Planning Commission is the federal government’s central planning agency in the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. The Commission provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in the region. It also reviews the design of federal projects and memorials, oversees long-range planning for future development, and monitors capital investment by federal agencies.