Mar. 31, 2010: New MBTA general manager Richard Davey

RICHARD DAVEY IS THE NEW
GENERAL MANAGER OF THE MBTA.
THE 36-YEAR-OLD IS TAKING OVER
THE NATION'S OLDEST MASS
TRANSIT SYSTEM.
A RECENT REVIEW FOUND IT'S
FACING A BACKLOG OF $3 BILLION
IN REPAIR PROJECTS CRITICAL TO
PUBLIC SAFETY.
MANY OF THE SYSTEM'S TRAINS
AND BUSSES NEED TO BE REPLACED
OR OVERHAULED.
AND THE T IS FACING NEARLY $8
BILLION IN DEBT.
AND RICHARD DAVEY IS HERE.
WELCOME.
WE BOLTED THE STUDIO DOOR SO
YOU CAN'T RUNAWAY.
WHY WOULD YOU TAKE A JOB LIKE
THIS AFTER ALL THAT I JUST
TALKED ABOUT?

>> IT SOUNDED DEPRESSING.
NO, IT'S NOT THAT BAD.
IT'S A VERY EXCITING TIME TO
BE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
AND I SAY THAT WITH ALL
SINCERITY.
YOU HAVE A GOVERNOR THAT'S
FOCUSED ON HIGH SPEED
TRANSPORTATION.
STIMULUS MONEY IS COMING OUR
WAY, AND THE GOVERNOR AND
LEGISLATURE TO THEIR CREDIT
PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL PASSED
SOME GROUND BREAKING
TRANSPORTATION REFORM.
SO I THINK IT'S A VERY
EXCITING TIME TO BE IN
TRANSPORTATION.

>> WHERE DOES THE EXECUTION OF
THAT REFORM START TO COME INTO
PLAY?
WHAT ARE YOU TARGETING FIRST
AND FOREMOST?

>> SURE.
UNDER THE REFORM LEDGE LATION
NOT ONLY AM I THE GENERAL
MANAGER OF THE MBTA BUT I'M
ALSO THE RAIL AND TRANSIT
ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE
COMMONWEALTH.
SO UNDER THAT POIF, BASICALLY
ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS
UNDER MY RESPONSIBILITY.
SO THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT
WE CAN DO, WORKING WITH THE
REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITIES,
FOR EXAMPLE, ON PURCHASING,
SAFETY, BEST PRACTICES.
SO THERE'S SOME PLACES THERE.
I THINK THERE ARE ALSO PLACES
WITH WITHIN MASS DOT, WITHIN
THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION WITH THE
REGISTRY, WITH AERONAUTICS AND
HIGHWAY TO COMBINE SOME
SERVICES.
SO THERE'S A LOT THAT'S BEEN
DONE.
THE SECRETARY HAS DONE A
TERRIFIC JOB, AND I THINK
THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
THAT.

>> ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE
CONCERNS IS SAFETY, ESPECIALLY
AFTER THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT
FROM DAVID D'ALLESANDRO A FEW
MONTHS BACK THAT PAINTED A
DIRE PICTURE OF THE T IN
REGARD TO SAFETY CONCERNS.
THE TWO MAJOR GREEN LINE
CRASHES THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN
TWO YEARS.
IT ALMOST AT THIS POINT
EVERYTHING THAT'S MOUNTING
SEALS LIKE ANOTHER ONE IS
INEVITABLE.
ARE YOU JUST BRACING FOR THAT?
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE SURE
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN UNDER YOUR
WATCH?

>> ABSOLUTELY NOT BRACING IT.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'M A
DAILY GREEN LINE RIDER MYSELF
SO, I HAVE NO PROBLEM TAKING
THE GREEN LINE EVERY DAY.
WITH THAT SAID THERE ARE SOME
SAFETY CHALLENGES, AS YOU
POINTED OUT, THE DAHL SAN DRO
REPORT TALK --
THE D'ALLESANDRO REPORT TALKED
ABOUT HOW PROJECTS WOULD BE
PRIORITIZED, AND WHAT HE NOTED
IN HIS REPORT THAT IT SEEMED
TO BE A BIT RANDOM.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT TO
BRING MORE STABILITY AS TO HOW
WE LOOK AT CAPITAL INVESTMENT
PROJECTS.
ON THE SAFETY SIDE ITSELF,
WE'RE LOOKING AT POSITIVE
TRAIN CONTROL AND OTHER
TECHNOLOGIES THAT COB
IMPLEMENTED ON THE GREEN LINE
TO EITHER ELIMINATE OR
SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE
LIKELIHOOD OF THOSE KIND OF
ACCIDENTS AGAIN.
BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT GETTING
THE EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THE
RIGHT SAFETY DECISIONS EVERY
DAY AND HAVING SAFETY PERMEATE
THE CULTURE OF THE MBTA.
SAFETY IS MY TOP PRIORITY.
AS GENERAL MANAGER.
I SENT OUT A MEM MO TO THE
EMPLOYEES ON MONDAY OUTLINING
MY PRIORITIES AND SAFETY WAS
THE TOP PRIORITY.
AND THAT MEANS SAFETY OF THE
EMPLOYEES TOO.
OUR PASSENGERS OBVIOUSLY, BUT
ALSO OUR EMPLOYEES.

>> AFTER THIS WEEK WITH WHAT
WE SAW HAPPEN IN MOSCOW WITH
THE SUICIDE BOMBERS AND THE
SUBWAY TRAIN THERE, THERE'S A
WHOLE OTHER CONCERN OF SAFETY
THAT ENTERS THE REALM NOW.
HOW ARE YOU CERTAIN THAT
SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULDN'T
HAPPEN HERE?

>> SURE.
WELL, WITH THE CHIEF MCMILLAN,
THE MOMENTS AFTER THAT
OCCURRED WAS ON THE PHONE WITH
HIS COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE
COMMONWEALTH, AND ALSO AROUND
THE COUNTRY TO TALK ABOUT
SECURITY MEASURES AND WHAT
WE'RE DOING.
WHAT HE FOUND IS WHAT THE T
ALREADY HAS IN PLACE IS
TERRIFIC.
SO WE HAVE OUR SEE SOMETHING
SAY SOMETHING CAMPAIGN, WHICH
I KNOW SOME PASSENGER
PASSENGERS EX DEGREES --
EXPRESS FRUSTRATION THAT THEY
CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT MESSAGE.

>> HOW DOES THAT WORK.
IF SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING
STRAPED TO THEIR CHEST OR IN A
BAG, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO SEE TOY REPORT IT.

>> THAT'S TRUE.
BUT THE OTHER PIECE THAT I
MENTIONED, WE ARE DOING RANDOM
BAG CHECKS AND RANDOM CHECKS
THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY TRANSIT
AGENCIES IN AMERICA THAT'S
DOING THAT, REGARDLESS OF THE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO WE WERE DOING THAT EVEN
BEFORE THE BOMBINGS IN MOSCOW
A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
CERTAINLY TRANSPORTATION IS A
SOFT TARGET, AS THEY SAY.
WHETHER IT'S THE AIRPORTS OR
OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS.
WE DON'T HAVE METAL DETECTORS,
WE DON'T HAVE THOSE KIND OF
ITEMS, THAT'S WHY WE RELY ON
OUR EMPLOYEES AND PASSENGERS
TO HAVE HIGH VIGILANCE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME IF WE CAN
DO SOME RANDOM CHECKS LIKE
WE'RE DOING, I THINK THAT'S A
GOOD SAFETY NET FOR OUR
PASSENGERS.

>> YOU JUST MENTIONED RIDING
THE GREEN LINE AND I THINK
YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE THAT THE
GREEN LINE IS AMONG THE
HIGHEST COMPLAINT AREAS
BECAUSE OF THE CONGESTION,
BECAUSE THE SERVICE ISN'T ON
TIME.
WHAT FRUSTRATED YOU MOST
ABOUT, AND DOES STILL US FROM
TATE YOU MOST ABOUT RIDING THE
GREEN LINE EVERY DAY?

>> WELL, MY RIDES HAVE BEEN
BASICALLY VERY GOOD.
AND GENERALLY ON TIME.
I RECOUNTED ONE SITUATION I
HAD ABOUT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO
WHERE THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN.
BUT I REALLY LOUDED THE STAFF
FOR WHAT THEY DID, THEY DIDN'T
KNOW WHO I WAS, EVEN THOUGH I
WAS CHIEF OF COMMUTER RAIL AT
THE TIME.
THEY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF
EXPLAINING WHAT WAS GOING ON,
MOVING US OFF THE TRAIN,
BRINGING ANOTHER ONE ON, AND
10, 15 MINUTES LATER WE WERE
ON OUR WAY.
AND THE PASSENGERS I WAS
AROUND AS WELL SEEMED TO BE
UNDERSTANDING AS IT WAS
DESCRIBED.
BUT I THINK AS BEING CERTAINLY
COMMUTER RAIL ONE FRUSTRATION
THAT OUR PASSENGERS RIGHTLY
HAVE THAT I WANT TO CONTINUE
TO WORK ON IS GETTING THEM
INFORMATION WHEN THERE IS AN
ISSUE.
OUR PASSENGERS ARE GENERALLY
VERY TOLERANT IF THERE'S A
PROBLEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT
TOLERANT IF WE'RE NOT
EXPLAINING WHAT'S GOING ON,
GIVING THEM ALTERNATIVES.
SO I'M COMMITTED TO DO THAT.

>> HOW DO YOU WALK INTO AN
ENTITY LIKE THE MBTA WITH $8.6
BILLION IN DEBT?
IT'S BEEN IN DEALT FOR AS LONG
AS I CAN REMEMBER.
IT ALL THE HEADLINES THAT COME
OUT, IT PLAGUED EVERY SINGLE
PREDECESSOR OF YOURS.
HOW DO YOU WALK IN AND BEGIN
TO CHIP AWAY AT THAT?

>> IT'S A FEW THINGS.
EVEN BEFORE I ARRIVED THE MBTA
STAFF MADE SOME REDUCTIONS IN
HOW WE'RE GOING TO RUN THE
ORANGE LINE, SO WE'RE GOING
FROM TWO OPERATORS TO ONE
OPERATOR, FOR EXAMPLE AND THAT
IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.
BUT WE REALLY NEED TO REVIEW
THOSE ITEMS.
ON THE DEBT SIDE, YOU KNOW, AS
THE D'ALLESANDRO REPORT
POINTED OUT, A LOT OF THAT
DEBT WAS FOISTED UPON THE T
WITH SOME BIG DIG COMMITMENTS
AND OTHER COMMITMENTS.
WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH
THOSE COMMITMENTS LEGALLY, AND
WE WILL DO THAT.
CERTAINLY THE GREEN LINE
EXTENSION IS AN EXCITING
PROJECT NOW, BUT MASS DOT HAS
STEPPED IN THERE TO HELP FUND
THAT PROJECT AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO IT SEEMS TO BE A BIT OF A
DAUNTING TASK, AS YOU SAY, BUT
I STILL THINK THERE ARE
EFFICIENCYS THAT WE CAN
SQUEEZE OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
AND I THINK THERE ARE
EFFICIENCYS THAT WE CAN
ACHIEVE WITH TRANSPORTATION
REFORM LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE
DELIVERING TRANSPORTATION
SERVICES.

>> AND FINALLY, ON THE POINT
OF WHAT YOUR PREDECESSORS HAVE
GONE THROUGH, YOU'RE 36 YEARS
OLD, THE HEADLINES THAT YOU'LL
GO THROUGH, THE MEDIA TORTURE
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO
THROUGH, I HAVE THIS PICTURE
OF YOU LIKE ABRAHAM LINCOLN
AND WHEN WE TALK TO YOU IN
THREE YEARS FROM NOW YOU'RE
GOING TO LOOK LIKE YOU'RE 56.
HOW DO YOU SURVIVE THIS?

>> I HOPE I DON'T HAVE A TOP
HAT.
BUT REALLY BECAUSE, AS I
STARTED BY SAYING THIS IS A
GOOD TIME TO BE IN PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.
IN MY SEVEN YEARS IN COMMUTER
RAIL IT REALLY BECAME A
PASSION FOR ME.
THE T DOESN'T DO A VERY GOOD
JOB ABOUT TELLING ITS GOOD
SIDE OF THE STORY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE READ OFTEN
ABOUT THE ONE OR TWO OFF
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DOING
SOMETHING THAT ISN'T REQUIRED.
BUT THIS MORNING, TODAY, OR
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS AS A
MATTER OF FACT IN THESE VERY
DIFFICULT RAIN STORMS, WE
MOVED OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE
AROUND METROPOLITAN BOSTON.
SAFELY AND ON TIME.

>> YOU CERTAINLY SURVIVED IT
MUCH BETTER THAN THE LAST RAIN
STORM.
RICHARD DAVEY, WE WISH YOU
LOTS OF LUCK WITH OR WITHOUT
THE TOP HAT LIKE ABE LINCOLN.
THANK YOU FOR COMING.

>> THANK YOU.

>> IN A MOMENT, SINGER AND
SONGWRITER LIZZ WRIGHT IS
HERE.