Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan raises red flag Critics wary of cutting details

Photo by Matt Stone

Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to release a controversial plan today aimed at yanking pricey police details off state-run construction projects - saving $5 million a year.

Some critics are holding their applause, however, until Patrick shows them the money.

"The approach is an interesting one, but the actual impact will be pretty limited," said Jim Stergios, head of the Pioneer Institute research group. "I’m just not sure how many projects this will impact."

Patrick’s draft regulations, which could go into effect as soon as October, would encourage the state to use less expensive civilian flaggers or electronic signs on roads with a 45 mph speed limit or less, according to a source briefed on the plan.

The regulations would also affect roads with higher speed limits but traffic counts of 4,000 vehicle trips per day or lower. The state would decide whether to use flaggers on a case-by-case basis depending on how dangerous the project is.

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation that uses police officers instead of civilian flaggers at nearly all road and utility construction sites. Legislators asked Patrick to create regulations authorizing the use of flaggers on state-controlled highways, roads and bridges earlier this year.

Patrick’s regulations go one step further, allowing state-run projects on local roads to use civilian flagmen once local collective bargaining agreements have expired.

AFL-CIO spokesman Tim Sullivan, who blasted the plan as unsafe and questioned the cost savings, said the union would fight the regulations.

"Who’s going to pay for these flagmen to be trained, who’s going to pick up their unemployment insurance? We just don’t think the cost savings are there," Sullivan said. "This isn’t over. This draft is still in the workable stages."

The plan requires that flaggers receive the proper training, but it does not say whom the state will hire or how they will receive their training. Private construction workers could be hired by the state to do the job, however.

Sen. Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen) who helped pass the legislation, said the regulations are a good compromise.

"These reforms are real tangible changes and reforms of how we operate in Massachusetts," Baddour said. "It strikes the balances between taxpayer dollars and public safety."

Steve Silvera, chairman of the independent Massachusetts Transportation Finance Commission, said the changes are a giant first step, but "the key is to see how it’s implemented."

Roughly $22.6 million of the funding for MassHighway construction projects went to pay for state police details in 2006, said Silvera, 4.5 percent of MassHighway’s entire construction budget.

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