Metro Says Richard Sarles Is New General Manager

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Metro's board of directors has named Richard Sarles as the new general manager and CEO of the agency.

Sarles, who had been the interim general manager for 10 months, was named to the new position at a board meeting on Thursday. He has signed a three-year contract that will pay him $350,000 a year.

Sarles has promised to continue focusing on safety and to restore the system to a "state of good repair." He also said he will work to fill holes in Metro's work force, including a shortage of bus drivers and train operators.

Sarles, the former chief of New Jersey Transit, joined the agency in March at a salary of $25,000 a month. He has also worked for Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)