MBTA reports ‘near miss,’ door closing on leg and hand safety incidents on Green and Red lines

There have been several safety incidents on the T over the past few months, including times when doors shut on passengers or their possession and one “near miss” involving personnel on the Green Line tracks, officials reported at the MBTA Board of Directors meeting Thursday.

All door incidents occurred on the Green and Red Lines, and there were no mechanical defects or “risk of getting dragged” observed in any incidents, MBTA Chief Safety Officer Tim Lesniak reported to the board — referring back to the tragic death of a man who was caught in a Red Line door and dragged in April 2022.

“On Jan. 1, a passenger’s leg got caught in the door at Medford/Tufts,” Lesniak said. “The door did not immediately release because the operator closed the door and also shut down the controls on the car to change ends.”

Though the situation was “concerning,” Lesniak continued, once the controls went live again, the door would note the obstruction and reopen.

In December, there were three incidents where bag straps were caught in the door so the passenger was inside the train but the bag was outside, he said.

A contractor also stuck out a hand to catch a departing train door in December, and the door closed.

“Here the individual’s hand was at such an angle that the sensitive edges on the doors would not recognize it as an obstruction,” said Lesniak. “However, because of that angle their hand was at in relation to the door, they were able to slip their hand out easily.”

Lesniak emphasized the incidents were “quite different” from past tragic mechanical failures, but the T is “looking at corrective actions” and reported all incidents to the FTA and DPU.

The number of “door incidents” in 2023 is level with 2022 and down approximately 50% from pre-COVID, Lesniak said.

The T is looking to “drive those numbers down” by raising door safety awareness with signage, issuing bulletins to operators, broadcasting station announcements and publicizing on social media. They’re also increasing audits to ensure operators are following door procedures.

The Chief Safety Officer also reported a “near miss” on the Green Line on Jan. 8.

That day, an operations control center dispatcher held service on the line so personnel could go onto the tracks to turn off switch heaters, Lesniak said. Though trains were supposed to be stopped, one left the Medford/Tufts station.

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“There were no injuries,” Lesniak said. “At no time did the train come into contact with the signal personnel.”

The dispatcher did “everything right,” Lesniak said, and the train went because a “route select button” was selected, giving the train a green light. Going forward, he continued, the route select switch will be under control of the OCC in these situations so a green light cannot be requested.

At Cleveland Circle, Heath Street and Mattapan, this will not be possible, Lesniak said, but dispatchers will contact operators directly.

Lesniak also noted the electrical fire at Downtown Crossing on Jan. 16 previously reported in the Herald, which disrupted Red and Orange line service.

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