INCIDENTS PUT T UNDER SCRUTINY
Citing last month’s passenger death on the Red Line and recent MBTA derailments, collisions and grade-crossing fatalities, federal transportation officials said they’re “extremely concerned with the ongoing safety issues” at the agency and will be increasing oversight of the T’s operations.
In an April 14 letter to Steve Poftak, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Federal Transit Administration said it planned to immediately assume an increased safety oversight role for the T.
“The safety of MBTA’s passengers and workforce is of paramount concern to FTA,” said Joe DeLorenzo, associate administrator and chief safety officer for the FTA’s Office of Transit Safety and Oversight, in the letter. “Therefore, FTA’s Office of Transit Safety and Oversight (TSO) will conduct a safety management inspection (SMI) of the MBTA’s transit operations and maintenance programs.”
DeLorenzo said the SMI will obtain the data needed to establish a safety risk profile for the MBTA and provide a roadmap that will be aimed at building a “robust safety culture” within the agency.
The FTA letter references safety issues including the April 10 death of Robinson Lalin, 39, who died after his arm became trapped in a Red Line train’s door and he was dragged about 105 feet.
The MBTA said it has ramped up its infrastructure spending in the past several years to make the system safer and more reliable. In the last fiscal year, a record $1.92 billion was spent, and the goal for the current fiscal year is $2 billion, according to the T.
“Sharing the Federal Transit Administration’s desire to make public transportation as safe as possible, the MBTA fully supports the FTA’s review of the Authority’s safety-related processes and practices and welcomes a constructive and collaborative process that focuses on making the T a transit industry leader in safety and reliability,” said MBTA
the Federal Transit Administration said it planned to immediately assume an increased safety oversight role for the T.
spokesperson Lisa Battiston.
The federal government’s decision to increase its oversight is the latest attempt to regulate ongoing issues at the agency.
Following a significant derailment on the Red Line in June 2019, which caused major disruptions for the system, the MBTA board convened a Safety Review Panel to look into “high-profile mainline derailments” that had occurred in recent years. The panel released its 69-page report in December 2019.
That report found, among other things, “the T’s approach to safety is questionable, which results in safety culture concerns.”
Since that report, the T has nearly doubled the size of its Safety Department, according to Battiston, “broadening the scope of its activities and training thousands of employees to help foster a culture in which safety is prioritized and integrated into the MBTA’s core mission of delivering safe and dependable services.”
Gov. Charlie Baker’s office deferred comment to the MBTA. A phone call seeking comment from the MBTA union went unreturned.