Photo: WBZ NewsRadio Staff
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The feds wants the T to pick up the pace. After a string of employee near-misses and injuries this spring, the Federal Transit Administration says the MBTA's current worker safety plan won't fix the current problems fast enough.
The MBTA sent in a long-term safety plan on May 5 which pledges to be completed by late 2023 or early 2024. The MBTA saw three near-misses involving employees on the tracks in March, another in April, and a serious worker injury on April 13. The FTA warned the MBTA's safety practices and conditions were so bad that a "there is a substantial risk of death or personal injury" for workers.
The FTA sent a letter to MBTA General Manager Philip Eng last week, saying any new plan would need to make serious changes within 60 days.
Federal officials want a new plan by June 5. In response, MBTA Spokesperson Lisa Battiston said the original worker safety plan had both long and short-term items on the agenda, and that the FTA has told the agency to focus on "immediate" fixes. She said the MBTA is actively trying to recruit more safety staff as well.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) reports:
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