Transportation Committee to mull bill on T, Keolis deal
A state lawmaker’s proposal to launch an independent probe into the MBTA’s $2.69 billion commuter rail agreement goes before a legislative committee today, threatening to ramp up scrutiny on the contract just as the T welcomes a pricey contractor to oversee it.
“It’s important to have a public and transparent investigation of it so we can judge the findings rather than taking them at their word or that of someone being paid to enforce the contract,” said state Rep. Mark Cusack (D-Braintree) of the deal with Keolis, the private commuter rail operator.
“I get three lines coming through my district and there’s constant delays,” Cusack said. “We should be holding their feet to the fire.”
Cusack’s bill calls for the state’s inspector general to investigate the T’s contract with Keolis, including if it’s meeting its contractual obligation and whether any fines the T waives are justified. It’s one of several proposals on the docket for today’s Transportation Committee hearing, which also will weigh multiple proposals to probe the T’s retirement fund.
The bill’s emergence comes just days before Dan Grabauskas, a former MBTA general manager, is due to start a yearlong deal with the MBTA to serve as “executive director” of the commuter rail. Grabauskas starts his $30,000-a-month contract next Monday and will be responsible for overseeing the Keolis contract, including identifying any “significant contractual gaps.”
But Cusack said Grabauskas’ high-priced hiring has actually inspired “less confidence” that the contract has been handled properly. The T last fall came under fire when it quietly forgave $839,000 in winter-related fines from 2015, prompting legislation — also slated to be heard today — requiring the T to publicly disclose when it’s considering giving Keolis so-called “relief.”
“It’s frustrating,” Cusack said. “It’s always been my feeling to trust but verify. But I’m not just going to be told everything is great, especially in light of hiring a private contractor. It raises even more questions.”
Lisa Battiston, a MassDOT spokeswoman, defended officials’ handling of the contract, saying they’ve added penalties for when coaches aren’t available and set targets for on-time performance, in addition to bringing in Grabauskas to “focus on the contract.”
“MassDOT, the Fiscal and Management Control Board and MBTA have taken substantial steps to strengthen the terms of the contract,” she said.
The MBTA and its private contracts have been a constant focus under the Baker administration, especially as it has sought to privatize several parts of the system.
Local 264, the union that represents the T’s mechanics, plans to hold a rally this morning before the T’s Fiscal and Management Control Board meeting to protest its plan to outsource some of the repair work currently done at T garages to private companies.