Mass. — The MBTA has reached a major safety milestone, with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officially ending its review of how Massachusetts oversees the transit agency’s safety operations.
Governor Maura Healey announced Friday that the FTA has closed its years-long inspection of the Department of Public Utilities’ (DPU) safety oversight program and returned direct supervision of MBTA safety management back to the state agency.
“When I took office, the T was in a dire state,” Healey said. “Today, the T is safer, more reliable, and more affordable for the riders who use it every day.”
The move marks the end of federal intervention that began in 2022 following a series of major safety incidents at the MBTA. At the time, federal officials determined the state’s oversight agency lacked the staffing and resources needed to adequately monitor safety operations.
Since then, the Healey administration and Legislature have invested in expanding the DPU’s Rail Transit Safety Division, which now includes investigators, engineers, data analysts and other safety experts. The division conducts independent inspections of MBTA vehicles, stations and facilities and performs safety audits of the transit system.
“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.
MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng called the development a significant achievement for both agencies.
“The closure of federal oversight reinforces that the investments the MBTA is making in our workforce, service, and infrastructure are paying dividends,” Eng said.
The Healey administration highlighted several safety improvements made in recent years, including the elimination of all slow zones through track repairs, upgrades to trains and stations, increased hiring and the deployment of new anti-collision technology.
In a Sept. 11 letter, the FTA said the DPU had satisfied all federal requirements and demonstrated it can independently oversee MBTA rail safety operations.
Healey said riders can now have confidence that leaders at both the MBTA and DPU are focused on keeping the transit system safe.
“Riders can now have confidence that there are dedicated leaders at both the MBTA and DPU working every day to keep them safe,” she said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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