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Aloisi: GM position at MBTA may change

E-mail|Link|Comments () August 7, 2009 12:56 PM

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff

Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi Jr. and MBTA interim general manager William Mitchell at today's news conference.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

State Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi Jr., ushering in what he said would be a new era for the MBTA Thursday's resignation of Daniel A. Grabauskas as general manager, today promised better customer service and a potential change in the agency's leadership structure.

Aloisi, who led the push by Governor Deval Patrick's administration to oust Grabauskas, said state transportation officials will consider whether a general manager position for the T even makes sense anymore as the state looks to centralize oversight of its transportation agencies.

"It may be that the model of the general manager changes and becomes a different model," Aloisi told reporters this morning.

Aloisi, who toured the T's 28 and 29 bus routes this morning to talk to riders and employees, said he would meet next week with David D'Alessandro, the former John Hancock chief executive who will lead a "top-to-bottom" review of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The review, Aloisi said, will be finished by Nov. 1, when the merger of state transit agencies is set to be complete.

The ouster of Grabauskas has drawn fire from political leaders from both parties, who called Patrick's power play a purely political move. But Aloisi said today that there were recent instances where Grabauskas was uncooperative, which he said was unacceptable. He declined to elaborate.

"We're in a time of change, we're in a time of changing the status quo," he said. "And that's a good thing. There are no sacred cows."

Grabauskas resigned yesterday under great pressure from Patrick's administration. He leaves with $327,487 to settle the remaining nine months of his contract. The general manager position will be filled temporarily by William Mitchell, the agency's general counsel.