MBTA news release:
Governor Baker Announces New Appointments to Mass DOT Board
Start Date: 5/8/2015
BOSTON - Today, Governor Charlie Baker announced five new appointments to the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The board, which includes Secretary Stephanie Pollack, currently oversees all MassDOT operations including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Highway, Mass Transit, Aeronautics, the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Office of Planning and Programming and the Office of Performance Management and Innovation.
"These experts bring tested experience and knowledge in their respective fields and represent the fresh start needed to lead the Commonwealth's transportation initiatives," said Governor Baker. "From the Registry to our highways, this group is tasked with enormous responsibility. The MBTA panel uncovered monumental challenges in the aftermath of this harsh winter, and I look forward to this new board expanding and working alongside our proposed Fiscal Management and Control Board as we strive to do better than the status quo with our transit systems which left riders stranded and tax dollars squandered."
After a harsh winter that impaired the MBTA and disrupted public transportation for commuters, Governor Baker appointed a special panel of transportation leaders to take a deep dive into the structural problems with the T and deliver recommendations for short and long term plans to improve our transit system.
The panel recommended appointing a new Mass DOT board, expanding it to include 11 members, and establishing a Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB) along with a Chief Administrator to oversee operations and finances through 2018, create capital plans, introduce reporting and audit requirements and lift procurement restrictions for the MBTA. In late April, Governor Baker filed An Act for a Reliable, Sustainable MBTA, acting on many of the recommendations made by the special panel. Following the panel's findings, the Governor also requested and received the resignation for all Mass DOT board members, excluding Pollack.
The Mass DOT board is comprised of seven members who are all appointed by the Governor with one designated as the chair. Each member is required to fulfill a specific criteria with expertise in transportation, finance and engineering. The Secretary of Transportation also serves on the board. The Mass DOT board serves as the governing authority for both the Mass DOT and the MBTA and oversees the following: Highway, Mass Transit, Aeronautics, RMV, the Office of Planning and Programming and the Office of Performance Management and Innovation.
Continue here w/ "About the Mass DOT Board Members:"