Governor Healey Announces New Milestone for MBTA Safety Improvements

Federal Transit Administration officially closes its safety management inspection of the DPU's safety oversight management of the MBTA

FTA also transfers direct oversight of the MBTA that began in 2022 to DPU

Governor Maura Healey today announced a major new milestone representing the continued turnaround at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) over the past four years. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formally closed its years-long review of the Department of Public Utilities' (DPU) safety oversight of the MBTA, returning direct supervision of the MBTA's safety equipment and management back to the agency.

"When I took office, the T was in a dire state. After years of underinvestment, workers and passengers alike didn't feel safe on the rails. Today, the T is safer, more reliable, and more affordable for the riders who use it every day," said Governor Maura Healey. "That's in large part thanks to the investments we have made in the T and the DPU, as well as strong leadership of Phil Eng, DPU's Robert Hanson and their teams. Riders can now have confidence that there are dedicated leaders at both the MBTA and DPU working every day to keep them safe."

"With the FTA's role overseeing special directives concluded, we have officially closed the book on the serious safety issues we saw four years ago," said DPU Commissioner Staci Rubin, who oversees the DPU's transportation divisions. "We made a commitment to invest in the Rail Transit Safety Division, strengthen technical expertise, and build more rigorous oversight processes-and we delivered. This was made possible thanks to our dedicated rail safety staff and support from the Legislature. The DPU is well positioned to ensure safer T operations in the years to come."

"This is a huge accomplishment for the T and the DPU, and I am extremely proud of this milestone. The closure of federal SMI oversight into the T was no small feat and reinforces that the investments the MBTA is making in our workforce, service, and infrastructure are paying dividends. We will continue to build off of the success of the last three years as we work with our state oversight partners at the DPU," said Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. "The MBTA is a different agency than it was three years ago, and while we know we have more work to do, 99% of our CAPs have been submitted, and the safety of riders and the workforce continues to be at the forefront of everything we do. This achievement wouldn't be possible without the tremendous support of the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Legislature, and I thank them for their leadership and support, which has enabled the MBTA to make these extraordinary strides in safety, more reliable service, better conditions for our workforce, and so much more. As we take this moment to celebrate this achievement, we are grateful to showcase how important investing in our workforce, tracks, vehicles, and infrastructure is to ensuring the MBTA is the world-class system our region can be proud of."

Read the full press release.