MTA Inspector General Daniel G. Cort announced today the release of the 2024 Annual Report — a compilation of the reports, recommendations, statistics, and other notable work from the past year.
The Office of the MTA Inspector General (OIG) issued 18 audit and investigative reports containing a total of 68 recommendations in the year since the previous annual report was released. OIG also assisted with regulatory and law enforcement partners on a variety of matters.
“As we look to the future of this office and to our area’s transportation system, my message to the public and to the MTA workforce is that we are steadfastly focused on improving the MTA, its operations, its efficiency, and its safety,” IG Daniel Cort said as part of his annual report message. “We will be relentless in fulfilling that mission.”
OIG had another productive year of issuing impactful reports on an array of topics, including public safety, time abuse, and management issues.
They included:
- A comprehensive audit of the NYC Subway emergency exit infrastructure, which revealed hazardous conditions that pose a potential risk to riders and the employees who regularly operate in those areas. They included structural defects, a dangerous lack of lighting, and obstructed exit pathways. OIG issued a total of 30 recommendations to address the issues.
- A pair of investigative reports related to a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) gang foreman’s use of a duplicate ID swipe card in order to fraudulently claim hours worked and his efforts to cover his tracks. The gang foreman resigned while his disciplinary proceeding was pending, but this matter is part of an ongoing, broad investigation involving time abuse and fraudulent Kronos records at LIRR facilities.
- An audit of the New York City Transit (NYC Transit) Help Point system that found approximately half of all calls are labeled as “mischief” and many others are simply tests of the system. NYC Transit accepted all nine recommendations, including ways to reduce the volume of unnecessary calls, prioritize emergencies, and improve call center operations and oversight.
- An investigation that an MTA Computer Specialist worked an unsanctioned, second job as an adjunct professor during her regular workdays for four years. The investigation also revealed that three different supervisors were completely unaware of the dual employment. Two of those supervisors were terminated.
- An audit that revealed significant fire safety lapses by an outside contractor during electrical and mechanical work at 130 Livingston Street, a NYC Transit building in Downtown Brooklyn. The audit led to disciplinary action against the MTA Construction & Development management team, which did not adequately oversee the work, and the recouping of more than $35,000 in fire watch costs from the contractor.
- An investigation that found a Metro-North Railroad supervisor disabled the GPS device on his work vehicle more than 100 times in an 8-month period. He used the truck to run personal errands, including taking trips to a shopping mall and a Bass Pro Shops, and driving to a co-worker’s home. The employee resigned in lieu of termination.
OIG’s 2024 Annual Report can be found by visiting here.
The MTA Inspector General encourages all members of the public to reach out to
report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse at any of the MTA agencies. This can be done online here, by phone at 1-800-MTA-IG4U (1-800-682-4448), or by e-mail complaints@mtaig.org.
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