The Office of the MTA Inspector General (OIG) released its 2023 Annual Report today – recapping a productive year of audits, investigations, and implemented recommendations. OIG issued a total of 19 reports in the calendar year that examined a range of topics, including safety, ethics violations, time abuse, and management best practices.
“New Yorkers deserve a safe, ethical, and efficient public transportation system – and this office ensures the MTA works toward that goal,” said MTA Inspector General Daniel G. Cort. “I am incredibly proud of OIG’s work in 2023 and look forward to another successful year.”
OIG’s oversight work in 2023 included 286 site inspections across MTA facilities, construction sites and contractor offices. OIG also helped monitor 16 Sandy projects funded with federal recovery money.
Investigative and auditing highlights from 2023 included, but were not limited to:
- Two audits that examined oversight of vehicle usage at Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and New York City Transit (NYC Transit) concluded that improvements are needed at both agencies, including in how they track excessive idling and unsafe driving behavior.
- An investigation that substantiated nepotism claims against an MTA Construction & Development executive, specifically that he managed two contracts despite his nephew and brother being employed by the prime contractors.
- An audit that explored post-Sandy track work at the 207th Street Yard and found missteps that triggered expensive and unnecessary changes after contract award.
- An investigation that found that NYC Transit employees working out of trailers at 44th Street in Times Square violated agency rules, including possessing alcohol at their worksite.
- Investigations that found time and attendance abuse by an array of MTA employees, including bus maintainers at the Yukon Bus Depot on Staten Island who were not onsite when they were supposed to be; a NYC Transit General Superintendent who was on flights to Florida when he was reported as working; and a LIRR machinist who claimed to be working at the LIRR and a major airline at the same time.
- An audit that revealed excessive hours worked and workers at risk of unsafe fatigue in the LIRR track division.
The MTA OIG 2023 annual report is now available online here.
