The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) orders the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to take swift action to resolve the pressing issue of near-miss incidents, where employees narrowly escape being hit by trains.
According to NBC Boston, the FTA's letter to the MBTA, penned by Chief Safety Officer Joe DeLorenzo, highlights the seriousness of the recent near misses involving Red and Green Line trains. Notably, during the past month alone, four near incidents have occurred, some of which the MBTA failed to report as required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU).
FTA's intervention comes in response to these incidents, as well as the MBTA's history of near misses that have taken place since the organization was first put under the federal microscope earlier this year.
The previously issued orders from FTA, following their review of the organization's worker safety, have been deemed insufficient in addressing the ongoing near-miss problem. As Boston 25 News reports, the new mandate from the FTA includes nine updated requirements that the transit authority must follow to enhance worker safety considerably.
Some of these new instructions entail the MBTA to notify the FTA within two hours of any near misses, submit preliminary and final investigation reports after each incident within 30 days, and provide detailed explanations for delays in reporting near misses since last month. Failure to comply with these measures could lead to significant consequences, such as the T losing all employee access to track right-of-way.
In response to these orders, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng assured NBC10 Boston that they take the FTA's words seriously, vowing to cooperate closely with them to meet the stipulated requirements. Eng also emphasized that safety remains his highest priority and that significant efforts are being undertaken to shift the organization's culture towards a safety-first mindset.
As previously mentioned on CBS News, the FTA conducted a safety investigation in 2020 that uncovered various areas of concern, including persistent communication problems and staffing shortages. Last May, the administration rejected an MBTA proposal addressing worker safety due to the "immediate risk" it portrayed.
During a recent MBTA safety subcommittee meeting, Governor Maura Healey candidly admitted that while the MBTA is working diligently to secure public confidence in the transit system's safety, she acknowledges that they have not yet reached the desired standard. However, Governor Healey remains optimistic, stating that the MBTA "is getting better" despite the ongoing challenges they face.
To facilitate this improvement, the new FTA orders prohibit the use of "lone workers" in the track area, provide supplemental training for dispatchers and supervisors, and develop a plan to ensure accurate bi-directional communication between track workers and dispatchers.
