People News: MassDOT, NYMTA
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Patrick J. Lavin, incoming Chief Safety Officer, MassDOT
Patrick J. Lavin has been named Chief Safety Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). H. Dale Hemmerdinger, Chairman of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) from 2007-09, died April 20.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Massachusetts Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca on April 24 reported the appointment of Patrick J. Lavin to Chief Safety Officer of the MassDOT, effective May 8. The governor created the new position to ensure “a safe and healthy environment for all employees, passengers, and the public, in all modes of transportation, including rail, bus, commuter rail, paratransit and highway.”
Since May 2019, Lavin has served as Director of Operations Safety and Investigations at K & J Safety and Security Consulting Services. He has been responsible for performing risk-based operational safety assessments, developing agency-specific incident investigation procedures, and assisting transit agencies in addressing the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) safety advisories and directives. Lavin also led the K & J team in the development of the FTA’s Rail and Bus Guidelines for Accident Investigation. Additionally, he managed the creation of training plans and hazard analysis for Bay Area Rapid Transit operations, New York State Public Transportation Board, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Honolulu Rapid Transportation, and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
Lavin was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer for WMATA, where he implemented the Agency Safety Plan; developed organizational policy to identify vulnerabilities and inefficiencies with operations; launched new initiatives involving fatigue management; and improved employee safety via improved Personal Protective Equipment and enhanced Roadway Worker Protection processes. He also spent 30 years at New York City Transit, ultimately serving as Senior Director of Operations in the Office of System Safety, where he conducted system-wide investigations for trains and buses, primarily for collisions, derailments, serious injuries and fatal incidents. As a senior manager in Operations, he led teams inspecting, testing, repairing and maintaining train control signals. Additionally, he managed the budget, safety, and employee development training; led the implementation of a train-the-trainer program for barcode reader technology; and oversaw the response to signal interruptions and emergency conditions. Lavin’s experience included working on bus fires and mechanical failure incidents; leading the coordination of activities to address derailments occurring across the MTA’s three rail agencies; and leading an interdisciplinary team to identify and adopt new technologies to reduce serious employee injuries during the installation of rails.
“Pat Lavin is a dedicated public transportation expert who shares our administration’s commitment to improving safety and reliability across our transportation system, including the MBTA [Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority],” Gov. Healey said. “I’m confident he will work closely with Secretary Fiandaca and General Manager Eng to deliver the service that the people of Massachusetts deserve.”
“Patrick Lavin is a nationally recognized expert in the field of transportation safety and has a proven track record evaluating processes and improving safety at major transit systems in the United States,” Secretary Fiandaca said. “Mr. Lavin has led collision and derailment investigations, evaluated organizations for compliance with regulations, managed multi-million-dollar budgets, and developed and implemented safety programs for public transportation systems. In addition, he has a familiarity with the MBTA having been part of an independent safety review several years ago, and he understands the sense of urgency now to identify issues and find solutions at the T. We are confident he will effectively execute strategic plans which will improve safety for everyone who travels in the state, including those who use the MBTA.”
“I look forward to Pat Lavin taking on this new, crucial position as we transform the safety culture at the MBTA,” said MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng, who took over the top job on April 10.
Further Reading:
Second FTA Safety Probe Targets MBTA
FTA Issues Safety Directives to MBTA
FTA to MBTA: Additional Safety Changes Needed
How MBTA Coped During Partial Shutdowns
H. Dale Hemmerdinger died April 20 at age 78. Appointed by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, he served as MTA Chairman during the Great Recession of 2008. Hemmerdinger “helped win more financial support from the State Legislature and held mass transit fare increases to a minimum,” reported The New York Times, which noted that he “helped revive the long-delayed [East Side Access] project to connect the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal,” which launched earlier this year. He was succeeded by Jay Walder.
Hemmerdinger also served as a Commissioner on the NYC Conciliation and Appeals Board; member of the New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination; and Chairman of both the Citizens Budget Commission and the New York City Police Foundation, where he created the Hemmerdinger Award for Excellence.
More recently, Hemmerdinger was Chairman of ATCO Properties, his family’s real estate business, which he joined in 1967 and helped grow to develop, own and manage commercial and residential properties across New York City and other leading U.S. markets. He was a Trustee of his alma mater New York University, and served on the Board of Directors at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Nightingale-Bamford School, the Naval War College, and Harlem Academy.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; children, Damon and Kate; five grandchildren; and sister Lyn.
