With an eye on accountability, new State Auditor Diana DiZoglio plans to audit the MBTA

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office will launch an audit of the MBTA this month, digging into the transit agency’s performance over a tumultuous two-year period marked by several high-profile safety incidents.

The audit will cover the period of Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2022, according to a letter DiZoglio’s office sent to Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca on Feb. 15. In a copy of the letter provided to Boston.com, DiZoglio’s office redacted part of a sentence that outlined what, exactly, the audit will include.

DiZoglio said in a statement that the audit will focus on safety risk management and “overall areas of improvement.”

“There is no doubt we need greater transparency and accountability as it pertains to this multi-billion dollar transportation system,” she said. 

“We are all aware of the significant challenges across the board at the MBTA,” DiZoglio added. “Safety issue after issue has arisen and the taxpayers continue to be on the hook. Taxpayers deserve to know how their dollars are being spent.”

MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo confirmed that the T has received the letter and will be cooperating with DiZoglio’s office. 

What happened in those two years?

During the two-year period under audit, the T saw an escalator malfunction that turned bloody at Back Bay Station, a Green Line crash that injured 27, an Orange Line train that caught fire, and the death of a man who was dragged by a Red Line train.

Last summer, the Federal Transit Administration released the findings of a safety management inspection of the MBTA’s subway system. The resulting 90-page report outlined several areas in need of improvement, including the MBTA’s emphasis on long-term capital projects at the expense of day-to-day operations and maintenance. 

As it looks to fill an estimated 2,000 positions over the next couple years, the T has also scaled back service on some of its lines. Meanwhile, about 8.7 miles of MBTA track had speed restrictions in place as of Jan. 31, accounting for around 6.5% of the entire system. 

“It’s frustrating that the T has become synonymous with unreliability,” DiZoglio said. “The dependability of people’s daily commute should not be a game of chance.”

Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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