![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "Stability at the top, continuity at the top and leadership at the top is something that the T desperately needed, and he certainly has delivered that," Kane told the News Service. MBTA Advisory Board Executive Director Brian Kane, whose group represents cities and towns that help fund the T, described Poftak's legacy as "one of stability." LivableStreets Alliance Executive Director Stacy Thompson said Poftak was "a consistent voice who stepped in when other people were unwilling to do it." 31 report about widespread safety problems at the T, FTA investigators noted that "all levels of the organization" voiced appreciation for having a leadership team remain in place without repeated turnover. 1, 2009 and the start of Poftak's permanent tenure, the T churned through eight different general managers, plus a two-month stint featuring Poftak as acting GM. Poftak's time as general manager will last almost exactly four years, marking the longest continuous tenure for an MBTA chief since Daniel Grabauskas in the mid-2000s and the third-longest since 1989, according to records kept by the independent MBTA Advisory Board.īetween Aug. Poftak at the time had spent four years as vice chair of the MBTA's management board. Charlie Baker have agreed to steer more than half a billion dollars in one-time aid to the T already, but they have shown little to no interest in rethinking more permanent funding mechanisms, although an income surtax on next week's ballot is one option.Ī former research director at the Pioneer Institute, Poftak took over as general manager in January 2019 after Baker picked him to replace Luis Ramirez. On top of that, MBTA financial officials expect the agency will face an operating budget gap of hundreds of millions of dollars as soon as next year. By the FTA's estimate, the T is already as many as 2,000 employees short of the workforce it needs, and current MBTA leaders envision bus system changes that will require hundreds more people, all in a job market where the agency has struggled to attract and retain workers. ![]() That person will also face major staffing challenges. The next GM will have to grapple with the aftermath of a Federal Transit Administration investigation and the price tag - which could total hundreds of millions of dollars - of making the necessary changes to fix immediate safety problems and restore former service levels. Selecting new leadership for the MBTA already appeared to be a likely step for the next governor, and Poftak's announcement pushes that task up the to-do list for Geoff Diehl or Maura Healey. "With visionary leadership, sufficient resources, and effective oversight, we can get the T back on track for its riders and workers - and the people of Massachusetts deserve nothing less." "We now have a critical opportunity to make much-needed changes and ensure our public transit system is safe, reliable, and first-rate," Warren said in a statement. Elizabeth Warren, who sharply questioned Poftak last month at a hearing about the MBTA's ongoing failures, called his resignation "long overdue." Warren calls for change in MBTA leadership New poll gives Baker high marks near the end of his tenureįacing bus operator shortage, MBTA to pay for job candidates’ training What's next for the T? 'A long slog to get this system up to speed,' transportation reporter says "And while we know we have more work to do on safety, we have made great strides as an organization, building staffing, expertise, and above all, commitment to making the system as safe as it can be." In a world where a lot of people stayed home, the MBTA was out there serving our transit dependent customers," Poftak wrote in a letter to staff. "We kept service going (and made it better) through a global pandemic. He told MBTA workers he will take "great pride in what we have accomplished together" over the past four years, a stretch that included a scathing federal investigation of the T's safety failures and the long-awaited opening of the Green Line Extension, which itself was shut down briefly for maintenance. In the two months until then, Poftak said he will focus on "preparing for the transition to a new administration and to new leadership here at the MBTA." 3, 2023, two days before the winner of next week's gubernatorial election takes office. Poftak announced Tuesday that his last day on the job will be Jan. MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak will step down from the transit agency's top post in January, ending a four-year tenure dotted with a handful of major accomplishments as well as harrowing failures. ![]()
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