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Turnpike chief Alan LeBovidge said yesterday he is reviewing cost-cutting measures. |
The new head of the Massachusetts Turnpike is considering getting rid of emergency roadside assistance help and eliminating overnight toll takers on the western Turnpike, who collect less money than it costs to employ them, he said yesterday.
Alan LeBovidge, selected to lead the financially troubled agency in November, said he is trying to set a tone of austerity wherever he can. That started with last month's board meeting, where the coffee and fruit salad normally laid out for employees and board members were replaced by pitchers of water.
Yesterday, LeBovidge fired two employees, whom he declined to name publicly, because he said their jobs are no longer central to the Turnpike Authority's mission.
The Authority raised tolls, effective this week, and may confront another toll increase next year as it struggles to balance a budget, pay escalating bridge and tunnel repair costs, and pay off Big Dig loans.
Board members recently decided they would forgo $50 million in annual bridge and road repairs that Turnpike staff had said were necessary. At the same time, the board had to dip into reserves to cover operating costs.
LeBovidge said he is still analyzing several of his cost-cutting ideas and does not yet know how much money they will save or which ones ultimately will be approved by the board. He said he expects to have more complete answers in the next month or two.
The Authority's many consulting contracts are a top priority, he said, because he suspects much of the work can be done more cheaply, either by Authority staff or with leaner contracts.
"We're the full employment agency for the consultants of America," he said.
Other ideas, like getting rid of roadside assistance, may meet some resistance from drivers who appreciate the security of roving helpers.
"There's an element of safety, but there's also an element of just convenience," LeBovidge said.
The program costs the state $1 million a year. For that, employees help drivers who run out of gas by filling tanks or by calling towing services when cars break down, LeBovidge said.
In the era of cellphones, it may be a luxury the state cannot afford, he said.
LeBovidge said he is still analyzing the cost of employing workers overnight to take tolls on some quiet booths in Western Massachusetts, but he said he believes it would probably save money to eliminate those shifts. The question for the board would then be one of fairness, because motorists who have to pay when they drive may feel slighted when others get a free ride.
"Those are the kinds of ideas that certainly make good sense, and I'm glad he's looking in that direction," said board member Mary Z. Connaughton.
Board members have been urging LeBovidge to replace as many human toll takers as he can with electronic booths and encourage more people to buy a Fast Lane pass.
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
