At the request of good government and transit advocacy groups, for the second year in a row the OIG is reporting on its year-end statistical highlights, as detailed below.
2020 marked another impressive year for the OIG’s work in support of the MTA and its constituent agencies: MTA New York City Transit (NYC Transit), MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), MTA Metro-North Railroad (MNR), MTA Bridges and Tunnels (B&T), MTA Bus Company (MTA Bus), and MTA Construction & Development (C&D).1
In 2020, OIG Intake staff processed 1,227 complaints, the second highest number of complaints received in the past 5 years, from individuals both inside and outside the MTA. As many of the OIG’s complaints come from riders and their interaction with service, the OIG is especially proud of these results during this pandemic year.
In response to a Federal Transit Administration requirement to provide monitors for the projects funded by the $4.8 billion Hurricane Sandy Recovery Grants, the MTA established a monitoring oversight committee, which includes the OIG. By having the OIG and other MTA agencies do this monitoring work, instead of third-party monitors, internal MTA estimates show the MTA saving $20 million for current construction projects, and up to $48 million for total construction projects.
2 A cost/lost revenue is questioned by the OIG based on the possibility of: (1) an alleged violation of a provision of law, regulation, contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other agreement or document governing the expenditure of funds; (2) a finding that, at the time of the audit, such cost is not supported by adequate documentation; (3) a finding that the expenditure of funds for the intended purpose is unnecessary or unreasonable; or (4) a finding that a lost revenue could be prevented or addressed in a more efficient or effective manner.
3 Includes OIG's, joint task forces', and joint matters with law enforcement partners' civil, criminal, restitution, recoveries, settlements, and forfeiture.
