MBTA leaders hammered with questions at Congressional Hearing in Boston
MBTA leaders were under fire in a congressional hearing in Boston. Senators Elizabeth Warrant and Edward Markey hammered both the head of the MBTA and the oversight agency, the Department of Public Utilities. A recent federal investigation found the T seriously unsafe.
Inside the JFK Federal building in Boston, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak was hammered with questions like how many of the corrective actions mandated by the Federal Transit Administration are completed. “We are still in the process of producing corrective action plans,” said Poftak. “I got that, but you have 53 items to be addressed, how many are finished? How many are checked off the list,” asked Warrant. “I don’t know that off the top of my head,” said Poftak.
Federal transit investigators found the T was riddled with problems and sent back 53 actions that needed to be corrected. The MBTA GM made it clear these are not overnight fixes and setting an end to all deadlines is dangerous. “I feel it is my duty and my responsibility as the leader of this organization to prioritize safety and if I put a date in place it doesn’t prioritize safety. It puts pressure on field staff to make a decision that is based on what is the safest condition in the field, it forces them to make a different decision,” said Poftak.
Department of Public Utilities Chair Matthew Nelson was also asked why there was no oversight. “The DPU has not been a watchdog, the DPU has become a regulatory black hole,” said Markey. Warren asked why the Chair has no understanding of why the FTA found no clear oversight. “I think the answer to that question is the department in of itself needs to do more to oversee the actions that happen on the MBTA,” said Nelson.
FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez also testified. “I feel that the system is safe and that people should continue to ride it yet tough decisions will have to be made now to create a better, safer, future,” said Fernandez.
The MBTA told us after remaining steady through the summer, MBTA ridership increased after Labor Day as schools, colleges, and universities began their Fall sessions and some passengers who can work from home returned to the office. These ridership numbers are among the highest the MBTA has seen since the beginning of the pandemic and are across all modes. The largest changes were seen on the Commuter Rail system and persisted after the Orange Line returned to full service.
The General Manager told the Senators there is no current plan to shut down an entire line as they did with the orange line in August and September.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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