DPU Safety Management Inspection (SMI) Response

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Rail Transit Safety Division responded to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s 2022 Safety Management Inspection (SMI). Here, you can read about our response.

Overview

On April 14, 2022, the FTA notified the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager that the FTA’s Office of Transit Safety and Oversight would conduct an SMI of the MBTA’s transit operations and maintenance programs in response to multiple safety events.  The letter also noted that the SMI would assess the effectiveness and role played by the DPU as the MBTA’s State Safety Oversight Agency. 

On June 15, 2022, the FTA issued a Special Directive (SD) 22-8 requiring the DPU to oversee the MBTA’s Corrective Action Plans (“CAP”)  to address four immediate concerns identified in the SMI. Additionally, the DPU was directed to submit a CAP to the FTA describing how the DPU will monitor the MBTA’s implementation of the MBTA CAPs. 

The FTA issued its SMI Final Report (Report) on August 31, 2022.  The Report accompanied four Special Directives to the MBTA and one Special Directive to the DPU.  SD 22-13, issued to the DPU, required four primary actions.  For each finding, the DPU was required to create a CAP to address the FTA’s concerns.

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

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. 

SMI Documents 

• FTA’s MBTA and DPU Corrective Actions Tracking Table 
• SD 22-8 Document (June 15, 2022) 
• SMI Final Report (August 31, 2022) 
• SD 22-13 Document (August 31, 2022) 
• FTA-22-DPU-CAT5-1.A/FTA-22-DPU-CAT5-1.B Closure Letter (August 24, 2023)
• SD 22-8, Findings 1-4 Closure Letter (September 5, 2023)
• FTA-22-13-CAT5-3 Fatigue Management Deferral Letter (October 20, 2023)
• FTA-22-DPU-CAT5-1.C Closure Letter (December 22, 2023)
• FTA-22-DPU-CAT5-2 Closure Letter (February 7, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-002- Closure Letter (April 19, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-004 Closure Letter (April 19, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-001 Closure Letter (May 6, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-003 Closure Letter (May 6, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-005 Closure Letter (May 6, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-006 Closure Letter (May 6, 2024)
• FTA-23-DPU-007 Closure Letter (May 15, 2024)
• SD 22-8 Satisfaction of Requirements Letter (September 25, 2024)
• SD 22-13 Satisfaction of Requirements Letter (September 11, 2026)

Questions or Comments?

If you have questions or comments about the Division’s SMI response, you can send an 
email to [e-mail]. MBTA’s SMI response can be viewed on MBTA.com.