Feds reviewing the safety of the MBTA

BOSTON — Federal officials are currently reviewing the “safety-related processes” of the MBTA. following a recent passenger death and accidents throughout the system.

The MBTA tells Boston 25 that officials from the Federal Transit Administration and MBTA held a meeting last month to initiate the process.

“Sharing the Federal Transit Administration’s desire to make public transportation as safe as possible, the MBTA fully supports the FTA’s review of the Authority’s safety-related processes and practices and welcomes a constructive and collaborative process that focuses on making the T a transit industry leader in safety and reliability,” said Lisa Battison, an MBTA spokesperson.

The Boston Globe reports the FTA is “extremely concerned with the ongoing safety issues” at the agency.

The Globe reports it obtained a letter sent to the MBTA which indicated the FTA will take on an “increased safety oversight role” of the MBTA.

“FTA leadership recently discussed the pattern of safety incidents with MBTA executive leadership, yet it remains unclear what actions the MBTA Board and executive team are implementing to prevent and address the system’s safety violations” according to the letter obtained by the Boston Globe.

The MBTA has seen a series of serious - even deadly - incidents in the last year.

Passenger Robinson Lalin, 39, of Boston was killed when he got stuck in Red Line door at the Broadway Station on April 10 and was dragged to his death. The NTSB is also investigating Lalin’s death.

“The MBTA has invested over $8 billion in infrastructure improvements over the past five years, including new tracks and revamped stations as well as new buses and trains all to make the system safer and more reliable.” said Battison in a statement to Boston 25. “The MBTA has almost doubled the size of its Safety Department in the past three years, broadening the scope of its activities and training thousands of employees to help foster a culture in which safety is prioritized and integrated into the MBTA’s core mission of delivering safe and dependable services.”

In September of 2021, dozens of MBTA passengers were injured when an escalator malfunctioned at Back Back Station. Video showed passengers scrambling for safety.

Two days later, a Red Line train derailed at Broadway Station. MBTA passengers were forced to climb out windows to escape. The incident caused major delays for T passengers.

The MBTA says that as of December 9, 2021 40 of 61 recommendations made by the FTA were completed.

17 other recommendations are “in progress” and 4 were pending due to further evaluation.

The Boston Globe reports the FTA “on site” inspection of the MBTA will begin in mid-May.

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