OIG Issues Required Report on MassDOT Service Plazas Procurement
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) today issued a report, required by the process the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is using to procure an operator(s) to redevelop and operate the Commonwealth’s 18 highway service plazas.
In March 2026, MassDOT announced that it would…
Highway Service Plazas Draft Lease Review
In compliance with M.G.L., Section 64 of Chapter 6C, the OIG provides the public-private partnership infrastructure oversight commission (P3 Commission) the following written notice of any “material objections” to MassDOT’s draft contract for the rehabilitation and operation of the Commonwealth’s 18 highway service plazas.
Read the ReportOIG Finds That the MBTA Overpaid for Warehousing and Logistics Contract
In a report issued today, Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro found that the MBTA overpaid Mancon for handling its warehousing and logistics functions. The report, MBTA Privatization Review #5: Warehousing and Logistics Contract with Mancon, LLC (2017 – 2026), details the history of the…
Read the Press ReleaseMBTA Privatization Review #5 – Warehousing and Logistics Contract
The report details the history of the warehousing and logistics procurement which began over a decade ago and how over time the MBTA reduced the vendor’s contractual obligations without reducing the contract rates it was paying. In addition, the MBTA failed to track the vendor’s performance during the early years of the contract. After hiring costly consultants to fix the contract, the MBTA saw better performance leading to greater inventory accuracy at the central warehouse, on-time deliveries and round-the-clock parts availability.
Read the ReportTestimony of IG Jeffrey Shapiro Regarding MassDOT Service Plaza Procurement
IG Shapiro detailed the OIG's investigatory findings of MassDOT's flawed service plaza procurement in testimony before the Senate Post Audit Committee.
Read the TestimonyInvestigatory Review of Failed 2025 Service Plaza Procurement
The OIG found that the integrity of the procurement process for a new operator of 18 highway service plazas was undermined by multiple flaws. The OIG firmly posits that no procurement of this size, scope, and significance should rest on a weakened foundation. While no one finding was likely the fatal blow to this procurement,
the OIG’s eight findings in what would have been a 35-year lease should give pause.
OIG: Service Plazas Procurement “Not a Model”
The OIG found too many flaws in this procurement to say with confidence that the procurement, had it been fully executed, was based on a solid foundation.
Read the Press ReleaseSpecial Education Transportation Study
The OIG reviewed the Commonwealth’s special education transportation services, pursuant to Section 2A of Chapter 7 of the Acts of 2025. Specifically, the OIG was tasked with reviewing how districts procure special education transportation services, which have been increasing in cost, and recommending ways to reduce costs, maximize purchasing power, act transparently and efficiently, and explore opportunities for regionalization.
Read the ReportInspector General Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee Testimony on Service Plazas
IG Shapiro provided an overview of what the OIG expects to see in large-scale public procurements in testimony before the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee on MassDOT's failed service plaza procurement.
Read the TestimonyIG Shapiro Calls Steamship Authority’s Website Project A “Cascade of Failures”
OIG Investigation finds that Steamship Authority’s website project was misguided, mismanaged and wasteful.
Read the Press ReleaseThe Steamship Authority’s Website Development Project
An OIG investigation into a website development project by the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority (SSA) found that the project was ill-conceived, poorly executed, and a waste of public funds. The investigation also found that the project’s breakdown was rooted in the failure of the SSA general manager and the SSA Board of Governors (Board) to fully and properly exercise their respective duties and responsibilities.
Read the ReportIG Shapiro: Fare Evasion is Only Part of the Revenue Problem
IG Shapiro commended MBTA GM Philip Eng in a letter for the newly launched crack down on fare evaders while reminding him to prioritize more effective fare collection on all modes across the entire system.
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