Re: Police Detail slashed in transportation refrom pitch
Civilian traffic flaggers urged
Police vow to keep detail jobs
By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
jmonahan@telegram.com
BOSTON- The state's top officials yesterday said they will change the use of police details at road construction sites to allow civilian flaggers on secondary and tertiary road projects, but a police union official doubts the changes will be widespread.
Gov. Deval L. Patrick appeared with House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, D-Boston, and Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, to announce the planned changes that will be attached to a multibillion-dollar transportation funding bill currently being formulated for highway projects.
All three said they support a change that would allow use of civilian flaggers in place of uniformed police.
They said the changes would require police details on interstate road projects, but allow civilian flaggers, presumably at less cost, on other state projects as well as at private and municipal construction sites.
International Brotherhood of Police Officer's legislative lobbyist Raymond F. McGrath, a former Worcester patrolman, said yesterday he doubts the proposed new regulation would change much in the running of police details at construction sites.
"I don't think it makes any difference to the current practices. Under state highway rules and regulations, they can use flagmen. They choose not to," Mr. McGrath said. "It's the management's choice on a state highway whether they use flagmen or they don't. They choose to go the safer route and use police."
Ms. Murray said the new rules would specifically provide for use of flaggers for work on secondary and smaller roads and that the changes would generate large savings. Combined with better cost controls over construction work, she said, the state would save an average of $5 million annually over the next 20 years with fewer police details at construction sites.
Mr. McGrath, however, said the state rule changes would have limited impact, even on local projects.
"The state only has the right to make a determination on state highways. They do not have the authority to control local communities' roadways. The cities and towns are independent bodies that make their own determinations on their own property," he said.
For state and local officials it will come down to which option provides a safer project. He said local permitting boards and agencies and contracting authorities will make their own determinations on whether to use flaggers or police details.
"It's going to create a media frenzy, but at the end of the day nothing is going to change, because the bottom line is, do we want to have safe roadways or do we want unsafe conditions at road construction sites," he said.
"It is safer when you have a police officer, and that is why I think it won't change."
The announcement came as the three top leaders are laying the groundwork for a multibillion transportation bond for new projects in an environment in which they said the public has lost confidence in the management of state highway construction.
The reforms also call for better oversight of construction and elimination of a local review of 25-percent design plans for state road projects, a process Ms. Murray said currently results in long delays before construction and added-on features that boost construction costs.
Ms. Murray said the reforms have to be undertaken, especially in light of the challenge of meeting a shortfall of $15 billion to $19 billion over the next 20 years in paying for road and bridge repairs, new projects and mass transit expansions.
"Everything has to be on the table" to make transportation spending more efficient while the state puts together funding plans to meet those needs, she said. She cited a recent PEW Research Center report that gave the state a grade of D-plus on its infrastructure planning and the Reason Foundation's recent ranking of the state at 45th in the nation in its overall transportation system performance.
The Reason Foundation, however, did rate the state No. 1 in the nation for the condition of its rural roads and No. 1 for fewest highway deaths.
The supporters of the new rules said reforms must be adopted before enactment of any new broad-based tax increases to pay for higher transportation costs and new projects, such as a hike in the state gas tax.
"The reforms that leadership is proposing today will not by themselves bridge the funding gap," Ms. Murray said. "We need to repair the public's trust in the state as efficient stewards of their money."
The governor and Mr. DiMasi repeatedly emphasized during the press conference in the Senate lounge that they were working together on the reforms and transportation challenges facing the state.
Those assurances, however, come in contrast to a New York Times story yesterday that quoted the governor as criticizing Mr. DiMasi for representing the old-style political methods that he pledged to change when he ran for governor. The story also recounted Mr. DiMasi's characterization of the governor as a political rookie and his frequently repeated criticisms that Mr. Patrick does not understand how government works.
The governor said earlier this week that he believes Mr. DiMasi broke a pledge to him to allow a fair hearing and fair vote on his casino plans in the House.
Mr. DiMasi led an effort over many months to stir public opposition to the governor's casino proposals and personally pressured House members to oppose the plan, which was killed on a House vote to refer the bill to study last week.