MARTA will spend up to $2.2 million to address safety concerns raised in a state audit in the wake of a contractor’s death.
A MARTA board committee Thursday agreed to extend a contract with the consulting firm Boyd Caton Group for six months, through June 2023. The original contract, approved last summer, was worth up to $1.5 million. The extension will cost up to $737,452 more.
The consultant will assess MARTA’s accident investigation process and develop a plan to respond to a Georgia Department of Transportation audit that found MARTA violated numerous safety rules. The firm also will address any issues raised in an upcoming Federal Transit Administration audit.
The cost of the consultant is the latest fallout from the 2018 death of contractor Robert Smith near the Medical Center station. Smith was working along the tracks when a MARTA train struck a vehicle he had been operating. The vehicle then struck Smith, who died from his injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board later found two MARTA employees failed to follow numerous procedures designed to protect people working along the tracks. Smith’s widow filed a lawsuit, which MARTA settled last month for $17 million.
MARTA has said the two employees deemed responsible for Smith’s death no longer work at the agency. And it said it has taken steps to improve safety, including additional training and safety briefings.
But a GDOT audit last May found MARTA’s response lacking. The audit found MARTA has not effectively implemented safety monitoring in the wake of Smith’s death. And it said MARTA has created a toxic culture where safety officers are afraid to report violations.
The audit sparked a dispute between the agencies last year. In written responses, MARTA said the audit was “flawed and biased.” Auditors said MARTA managers “continually challenged and questioned GDOT’s oversight authority.”
The agencies later downplayed the conflict. MARTA hired Boyd Caton in the summer to address the safety concerns.
The amended contract must still be approved by the full MARTA board next month.
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