Former Chicago Transit Authority manager John Dalton will oversee the long-delayed
"John's experience with large and complex public transit projects is exactly what is needed to drive the Green Line Extension forward," MBTA acting general manager Brian Shortsleeve said Monday at the weekly meeting of the authority's control board.
"He brings a wealth of technical knowledge as well as familiarity with federal funding processes and stakeholder engagement."
Shortsleeve also announced a reorganization of capital operations at the T, as locals call the system.
The 4.7-mile light rail extension from Cambridge to Somerville and Medford, a federal requirement under a mitigation settlement related to the Big Dig megaproject and the Federal Clean Air Act, stalled in the past year when the MBTA acknowledged that the cost would exceed its original $2.3 billion estimate by at least $1 billion. An internal report blamed poor oversight of private contractors, among other factors.
According to U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Somerville, the federal government would kick in $1 billion provided the authority hire a dedicated team. Those funds, he said, are not up-front funds, but are reimbursements for funds properly spent on the project.
"If we do not manage this project properly, we risk losing $1 billion in federal money," said control board vice chairman Steve Poftak, the executive director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Dalton, who will report directly to Shortsleeve, has signed a term sheet and the parties are finalizing a contract. He was the Chicago Transit Authority's general manager for capital construction for five years.
Shortsleeve said the capital operations overhaul would enhance accountability and streamline processes. "Getting capital project funding out the door has long been a problem at the MBTA," he said. The state Department of Transportation, which oversees the T, has called for the authority to spend $6.5 billion over five years, most of it on state-of-good repair.
Under the reorganization, Beth Larkin is assistant general manager for capital delivery, a new department that replaces the design and construction group. Larkin and her group will concentrate on chronic capital underinvestment, bottlenecked project delivery and flawed contracting processes.
Erik Stoothoff, a former chief engineer at the T, will fill the new position of deputy chief operating officer for infrastructure. His primary role is to ensure stronger integration between engineering and capital project delivery.
Joanna Aalto, the assistant general manager for capital program oversight, will be responsible for financial planning, funds management and reporting and project controls for the capital program. She will also chair a new "state of good repair accelerator," to ensure coordination among all MBTA components.
Gov. Charlie Baker and the state legislature established the control board last year.
