DPU identified numerous recommendations and findings in this Triennial Audit Report regarding Green Line operations that MBTA needs to address to bridge the time between now and when MBTA has GLTPS (or alternative, if any) operational. DPU recognizes that the MBTA is currently working to gain DPU approval on the CAP associated with the GLTPS. DPU also recognizes that it recently issued a rejection letter on MBTA’s proposed CAP (9281) which predates but covers many of the same Green Line issues identified in this audit report. DPU anticipates that MBTA will coordinate its response to the CAP rejection and the Triennial Audit Findings.
Because the Green Line recommendations and findings fall within multiple Groupings above, they are summarized here for consistency and clarity:
- Recommendations
- Investigate how and why a high number of speeding notifications are false positives, as reported by MBTA (Grouping 5); and
- The GLTPS should be evaluated to determine if it is still a viable mitigation to the original issues presented during the accident investigations (Grouping 9).
- Findings
- Vehicle Speed:
- Evaluate how best to control speeding on the Green Line and more accurately track speeds (until a capital project resolves the issue) (Grouping 6);
- Consider whether MBTA’s management and control of Green Line speed is sufficient or if more MBTA enforcement is required (Grouping 6); and
- Re-evaluate the posted/scheduled trips to determine if they are achievable under the current speed limits and restrictions in place and how to best manage the speed limits and restrictions going forward.
- Vehicle Separation:
- Ensure that train separation through the system is compliant with MBTA standards and addresses the NTSB recommendation (Grouping 6); and
- Submit a CAP that adequately describes short-term mitigation that addresses and ensures required separation of Green Line trains while the GLTPS project (or alternative, if any) is being developed and implemented (Grouping 9).
- Vehicle Speed: