MBTA leader Poftak to step down in 2023

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager Steve Poftak announced yesterday he will step down Jan. 3.

Poftak disclosed his resignation in an internal letter to MBTA colleagues, WCVB-TV Boston reported yesterday. He is the sixth GM to lead the agency during Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s eight-year tenure.

"Serving as general manager has been the experience of a lifetime and it has been my honor and privilege to work with all of you," Poftak wrote. "For the next few months, I will be focused on preparing for the transition to a new administration and to new leadership here."

Poftak has led the agency since 2018 after the departure of former GM Luis Ramirez, whose 15-month tenure included accidents, including a derailment, a wheel falling off a commuter-rail car and an engine fire, WCVB reported.

Several incidents have occurred in the years since. Two Green Line trains collided in July 2021, sending four train operators to the hospital, and a year later, an Orange Line train caught fire on a bridge, forcing some riders to jump into the river below. In May, a passenger caught his arm in a door on a Red Line train and was dragged to his death.

Regulators at the local, state and federal levels have worked with the MBTA to resolve the safety issues under Poftak’s leadership. The Federal Transit Administration has issued a dozen safety directives to the transit agency following months of investigations and safety management inspections. Since 2019, MBTA has recorded a higher-than-average rate of reportable safety events and derailments on heavy and light rail compared to other major rail-transit providers in the country.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (both D-Mass.) held a hearing in October to address safety incidents on MBTA tracks. Warren called Poftak’s resignation “long overdue,” WCVB reported.

“I thank Steve for his years of service to the MBTA both as a board member and as general manager," Baker said in a prepared statement. "Steve brought long-term stability to the T when it was sorely needed and under his leadership, the MBTA has upgraded more infrastructure and vehicles than during any prior period.”