A co-chair of the legislative committee conducting security oversight hearings of the MBTA mentioned the beleaguered company now not serves its function, and needs to be dissolved.
“The T, as an organization, isn’t necessarily worth saving,” mentioned state Rep. William Straus, D-Mattapoisett, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, which held its first oversight listening to for the MBTA on Monday.
“What we want to enhance is the transportation system from a safety standpoint and its ability to deliver transportation choices to the public.”
Straus mentioned the T could possibly be absorbed as a public transit division of MassDOT, very similar to its freeway and aeronautics divisions.
Straus cited a December 2019 Safety Review Panel report, which he mentioned discovered that that the T was having a tough time balancing the capital development aspect of its funds with the every day operations aspect.
“I brought up the example that we do have a history in Massachusetts of abolishing some of these authorities or entities when they no longer serve their purpose, and my main example was the (Massachusetts) Turnpike Authority, which we eliminated in 2010,” Straus mentioned.
“It just needed to become part of the road system, the transportation system, and a similar question should now be asked with the MBTA — perhaps they should be an operating division running the subways and buses and commuter rail, much like highways is a division that handles the roads.”
This would depart development and capital initiatives to MassDOT, work that Straus mentioned the T will not be as well-equipped to deal with, and permit it to give attention to security and transit operations.
Straus mentioned he plans to see how the remaining oversight hearings play out — two extra will probably be held in August and September — earlier than making any choices as as to whether to file laws. He mentioned the committee plans to launch its report with suggestions by the tip of the 12 months.
Hiring was a big focus of the MBTA Board of Directors assembly on Tuesday, which included plans to beef up its subway dispatcher staffing within the operations management heart to adjust to directives from the Federal Transit Administration.
Board member Travis McCready mentioned it could possibly be properly into 2023 earlier than common weekday subway service resumes, based mostly on the MBTA’s plans to extend its dispatcher staffing to 32 folks, with new hires required to bear a 10-week coaching program earlier than being eligible to begin.
MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak mentioned 107 folks have utilized for the dispatcher place, a roughly $103,000 job, however solely 26 candidates have met the minimal necessities — the others didn’t have sufficient heavy rail expertise or years spent on the company. Six have been employed.
The T is going through a system-wide hiring downside, in accordance with information offered, which confirmed the company has 898 vacancies. The MBTA plans to make 2,089 hires in fiscal 12 months 2023, and expects to have to rent 744 extra to backfill positions for departing or retiring staff.
MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler mentioned the MBTA faces a difficult labor market, however may additionally face stiff competitors from the remainder of the transportation sector for a similar candidates, because of the anticipated funds from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”