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Audit

Audit  Audit of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Our office conducted a performance audit of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022.

Organization: Office of the State Auditor
Date published: March 10, 2025

Executive Summary

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022.

This is part of a series of reports that the Office of the State Auditor has issued as part of a comprehensive performance audit of the MBTA, examining high-risk areas, such as Keolis1 contract provisions, Automated Fare Collection 2.02 contract provisions, and additional topics focused on ensuring the safety of MBTA riders, employees, and the general public. This is the second report related to ensuring the safety of MBTA riders and employees, with the first report being issued on July 7, 2024 (Audit Report Number 2023-0583-3A).

The purpose of this second report was to determine the following:

  • whether the MBTA ensured that preventive maintenance (PM) inspections of its subway cars were performed in accordance with its “Equipment Engineering and Quality Assurance Vehicle Inspection Guidelines”;
  • whether the MBTA ensured that defects identified during PM inspections of subway cars were remediated within the requirements of the MBTA’s Preventive Maintenance Inspection and Documentation Policy; and
  • to what extent the MBTA performed visual inspections of its subway station facilities in accordance with Section 6.2.2 of its 2018 and 2022 Transit Asset Management Plans.

Although not within the scope of our original objectives, we also identified an issue that we believe warrants attention, which we outlined in the “Other Matters” section of this report. This issue relates to pedestrian safety at MBTA commuter rail stations with at-grade crossings.

Below is a summary of our findings, the effect of those findings, and our recommendations, with links to each page listed.
 

  
Finding 1The MBTA did not ensure the timely completion of preventive maintenance work orders for visual inspections of its subway tracks.
EffectOpen work orders can skew the accuracy of the MBTA’s enterprise asset management system, on which it relies to monitor the condition of its infrastructure. This makes it difficult to track whether these PM tasks have actually been carried out and whether any potential maintenance trends and/or backlogs exist. This undermines the reliability of the MBTA’s enterprise asset management system. Further, not performing inspections on their scheduled date increases risks to people and the MBTA’s physical assets and increases the risk of noncompliance with regulatory requirements, particularly those related to inspection frequency.
Recommendations
  1. The MBTA should ensure that visual inspections of its subway tracks are conducted on time.
  2. The MBTA should establish a formal policy or procedure that provides clear guidelines for when PM work orders should be opened, completed, and closed. The MBTA should ensure that its staff members adhere to this policy when performing PM activities.
  3. Once the PM work order system is an accurate reflection of the MBTA’s work in this regard, management should use the PM work order system to effectively monitor ongoing performance and progress in addressing related maintenance of its physical assets.
Finding 2The MBTA did not ensure that defects identified during inspections of subway tracks were remediated in accordance with its Track Maintenance Standards.
EffectRecent incidents involving derailments on the MBTA’s Red and Green Lines, which caused injuries and significant delays for passengers, highlight the importance of promptly remediating track defects to prevent future occurrences. The MBTA may be unable to effectively prioritize and address safety hazards if it does not address track defects discovered during inspections according to its Track Maintenance Standards, or if it does not subsequently verify that the defects have not deteriorated further. This could ultimately lead to safety hazards for both MBTA riders and employees.
Recommendations
 
  1. The MBTA should ensure that defect codes in the MBTA’s enterprise asset management system are able to be traced to its Track Maintenance Standards to ensure the consistent remediation of each type of defect.
  2. The MBTA should ensure that speed restrictions for defects that require them are documented in its enterprise asset management system and that systems are in place to ensure that trains abide by these restrictions.
  3. The MBTA should ensure that its track inspectors are consistently documenting the verification (physical condition) of existing track defects.
  4. The MBTA should implement adequate monitoring controls to ensure that expected remedial action is completed within the required time frame and that this performance is reviewed by appropriate management.
Finding 3The MBTA did not always perform PM inspections on its subway cars at the required intervals.
EffectRegular inspections of subway cars are critical to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the MBTA’s subway system. Without timely inspections, mechanical issues could go unnoticed, increasing the likelihood of equipment failures, potentially leading to accidents or derailments. This could jeopardize the safety of riders and the general public. Failure to conduct timely inspections can also increase the complexity and cost of addressing problems that exist.
RecommendationThe MBTA should implement adequate monitoring controls to ensure that inspections of its transit subway rail cars occur at the required intervals.
Finding 4The MBTA did not consistently document deferred defects found during subway car inspections and did not always accurately record their associated severity codes.
EffectIf the MBTA does not accurately and consistently document deferred defects and their associated severity codes found during subway car PM inspections, it cannot ensure that all deferred defects are monitored and addressed in a timely manner and in accordance with its Preventive Maintenance Inspection and Documentation Policy. In addition, if the MBTA does not ensure the accuracy of this information, the MBTA’s ability to evaluate the effectiveness of its employees’ efforts to identify and address maintenance needs is limited.
Recommendations
  1. The MBTA should enhance its monitoring controls to ensure accurate and consistent documentation of deferred defects and their associated severity codes found during PM inspections of its subway cars.
  2. The MBTA should use technology systems to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its work, including maintenance, to ensure that it has ready access to maintenance, cost, performance, and other data.
Finding 5The MBTA did not ensure that visual inspections of its subway station facilities were performed.
EffectA lack of regular inspections increases the risk that safety hazards and maintenance needs may not be identified in a timely manner, affecting the safety of the MBTA’s riders, employees, and the general public.
Recommendations
  1. The MBTA should conduct visual inspections of stations on a regular basis to identify and address safety hazards and maintenance needs. The MBTA should maintain records of these inspections.
  2. The MBTA should implement formal, comprehensive policies and procedures for subway station facility visual inspections, including a monitoring component.
  3. The MBTA should track and analyze the results of visual inspections to determine trends, manage performance, and conduct other management duties.
Finding 6The MBTA did not ensure that all of its information system users completed cybersecurity awareness training.
EffectIf the MBTA does not ensure that all of its information system users complete cybersecurity awareness training, then the MBTA is exposed to an elevated risk of cybersecurity attacks, which may cause financial and/or reputational losses.
RecommendationThe MBTA should ensure that all of its information system users complete cybersecurity awareness training as part of initial training and annually thereafter and should maintain records of this training.
  1. This is the company contracted by the MBTA to operate its commuter rail services.
  2. This is the MBTA’s ongoing project to replace its automated fare collection system.

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