Safety is once again in the spotlight for the MBTA, after the Federal Transit Administration rejected the transit agency's safety plan to address concerns surrounding its workers.
The rejection follows several close calls with workers in the past year alone — and now, the clock is ticking to come up with a new plan.
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This was just one of at least four incidents in the span of less than a month where trains came too close to workers due to miscommunications between construction crews and dispatch.
They were described by the T as "near-miss events."
Earlier this month, the T submitted a Right of Way Rules Compliance and Safety Work Plan to the Federal Transit Administration to address these concerns.
But the FTA has deemed the MBTA’s Work Plan insufficient.
The T has to revise and resubmit it by next Monday, with improved safety procedures to be implemented within the next 60 days – not dragging out to next year, as the T’s original plan set forth. The FTA said it will schedule a follow up meeting with the MBTA.
"During this meeting, FTA will work with the MBTA team to identify and distinguish between the immediate actions that will be reviewed, approved, and tracked from the longer-term actions that the MBTA may take," the FTA's letter said.
If the T fails to address these concerns, the FTA will ban workers from doing work on the tracks.
