Gov. Healey appoints first-ever MassDOT safety chief
A transit and safety expert with 40 years of experience all across the country has been named the first Chief Safety Officer within the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Gov. Maura Healey appointed Patrick Lavin to the position which she created to help increase safety among all modes of transportation in the state, including trains, the commuter rail, buses, and highways.
“Pat Lavin is a dedicated public transportation expert who shares our administration’s commitment to improving safety and reliability across our transportation system, including the MBTA,” Healey said in a statement announcing Lavin’s appointment. “We created this position to ensure we had a senior official coordinating efforts across all modes of transportation and driving strategies across the system to improve safety for riders and workers.”
Lavin will report directly to the Secretary of Transportation and to newly appointed MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng.
Lavin has 40 years of experience in transportation safety and operations, including serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and serving as the Senior Director for Operations in the Office of System Safety of New York City Transit.
Lavin also served as a subject matter expert and technical writer to the MBTA Safety Review Panel back in 2019 and managed the creation of training plans and hazard analysis for the Bay Area Rapid Transit operations, the New York State Public Transportation Board, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, the Memphis Area Transit Authority, Honolulu Rapid Transportation and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
As MassDOT Chief Safety Officer, Lavin will serve as the primary representative for overall safety issues relating to transportation in the state.
“Patrick Lavin is a nationally recognized expert in the field of transportation safety and has a proven track record evaluating processes and improving safety at major transit systems in the United States,” Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Fiandaca said. “Mr. Lavin has led collision and derailment investigations, evaluated organizations for compliance with regulations, managed multi-million-dollar budgets, and developed and implemented safety programs for public transportation systems. In addition, he has a familiarity with the MBTA having been part of an independent safety review several years ago, and he understands the sense of urgency now to identify issues and find solutions at the T.”
Lavin’s first day on the job is Monday, May 8.
“I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the MassDOT team, agency personnel, local stakeholders, and our federal partners to improve safety at the T and at a broader level across the state,” Lavin said. “I am humbled by and grateful for the confidence that Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and Secretary Fiandaca have placed in me, and I look forward to starting this very important work.
Lavin is certified by the Federal Department of Transportation’s Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program and Transit Safety and Security Program. He is also certified by the World Safety Organization as a Safety and Security Director.
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