FTA orders safety improvements to Boston's transit-rail system

The Federal Transit Administration yesterday ordered the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to take immediate action on safety issues at the greater Boston transit agency.

The special directives to MBTA and DPU — the state agency responsible for safety oversight of MBTA's transit-rail system — stem from the FTA's safety management inspection of the MBTA that began April 14, following several incidents that resulted in one fatality and several injuries to passengers and employees.

Four of the FTA's directives were issued to the MBTA and one to the DPU. The orders require the MBTA, its board and the DPU to remedy safety concerns and the agency's safety culture.

"Every transit passenger deserves a safe ride. Every transit worker deserves a safe workplace. The MBTA must immediately take action to improve its safety procedures for its passengers and workers," said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez in a press release.

The directives issued to MBTA concern operating control center staffing, general safety operating procedures, delayed critical maintenance and lapses in staff safety certifications.

Each directive includes specific timeframes — ranging from 24 hours to 30 days — for the MBTA to provide responses and take actions.

The directive to the DPU affirms the need for the agency to enforce the special directives to the MBTA and address outstanding safety issues from FTA's most recent audit of the DPU. Conducted in October 2019, the audit resulted in 16 findings, of which seven remain open. Those findings concern hazard management, accident investigations, corrective action plans and rules compliance.