Governor Healey Announces New Milestone for MBTA Safety Improvements

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

BOSTON — 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."

Through its Rail Transit Safety Division, the DPU is the State Safety Oversight Agency in Massachusetts, meaning that it is responsible for overseeing the safety of equipment and operations of the MBTA.

In 2022, after several major safety incidents at the MBTA under the prior administration, the FTA placed the DPU’s Rail Transit Safety Division under directives to make significant changes to its staffing, operations, funding, and safety practices. The FTA found that the agency was under-resourced and could not provide adequate safety oversight of the MBTA. The DPU was ordered to increase its oversight of the MBTA’s safety protocols including track maintenance, uncontrolled train movements, management of the Operations Control Center, and personnel training.

“The safety of MBTA passengers and employees depends on strong oversight and a solid working relationship with the DPU,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “I want to give credit to Rail Safety Division Director Robert Hanson and his team for bringing a renewed sense of professionalism to this work. Robert is a national leader in safety oversight, and we are lucky to have his team working on behalf of all of us who ride the T.”

With support from Governor Healey and the Legislature, the DPU took significant steps to overhaul its MBTA oversight. The DPU created the Rail Transit Safety Division and hired its first Director, Robert Hanson. Hanson is a veteran transit safety official, having served previously with the Amtrak Police Department. The Division has more than doubled in staff size since its inception to include investigators, engineers, data analysts, lawyers, and an experienced leadership team. The Division’s constant engagement in both the field and administrative oversight ensures that safety remains the top priority across the MBTA’s subway system. The Rail Transit Safety Division conducts independent inspections of the MBTA’s subway cars, stations, and carhouses, and produces external safety and compliance audits of the MBTA.  

Over the years, the DPU has made steady progress towards these goals. In 2024, the FTA gave the DPU a satisfactory report for its recent Triennial Audit and closed Special Directive 22-8 that same year. 

Additionally, Governor Healey has made record investments to improve safety and reliability across the MBTA system. That includes eliminating all slow zones by repairing tracks, upgrading cars and stations, increasing hiring and deploying new anti-collision technologies. 

On September 11, 2026, the FTA issued a letter to the DPU, formally closing the final special directive, essentially returning direct responsibility of the remaining safety actions to the DPU. The FTA found that the DPU has satisfied all requirements and has demonstrated significant improvements in its capacity to independently oversee the safety of MBTA rail operations.