Daniel Grabauskas
Daniel Grabauskas | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 27, 1963 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Transportation executive, government official |
| Known for | CEO of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, General Manager of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
Daniel Anthony Grabauskas (born June 27, 1963) is a prominent American transportation leader and former government official, known for his roles as CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
Early life and education
Grabauskas was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and is the oldest among four siblings. His father, Drasutis Antanas "Tony" Grabauskas, immigrated from Lithuania in 1949 and died in 2010. His mother, Patricia (Sheehan) Grabauskas-Caruso, hails from Milbury, Massachusetts. He grew up in the towns of Sutton and Auburn, Massachusetts. For his education, Grabauskas attended St. John's High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross, and completed an MBA at the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University.
Early career
Grabauskas launched his career in public service in 1987 working for Massachusetts State Senator Mary L. Padula (R-Lunenburg), quickly advancing to her chief of staff. When Padula assumed the role of Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Communities and Development (EOCD) in 1991, he briefly served as chief of staff for State Senator Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield) before rejoining Padula as Deputy Secretary of EOCD from 1991 to 1995. Subsequently, he became chief of staff to the Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services. Between 1995 and 1996, Grabauskas worked internationally as a resident program officer for the nonprofit International Republican Institute in Lithuania. Returning to Massachusetts in 1997, he was appointed chief of staff at the Department of Economic Development. From 1998 through 1999, he served as Director of Consumer Affairs under Governor Paul Cellucci.
Registrar of Motor Vehicles
Grabauskas held the position of Registrar of Motor Vehicles for Massachusetts from 1999 until 2002. When he took office, the agency was struggling with lengthy wait times and operational inefficiencies that had become a political concern. Throughout his leadership, he successfully cut average wait times from more than an hour to less than ten minutes. He introduced the Q-Matic queuing system, which enabled customers to obtain estimated wait times via ticketing or online platforms. Online transactions surged significantly during his term, growing from approximately 30,000 in 1999 to over half a million by 2002.
Campaign for State Treasurer
In January 2002, Grabauskas stepped down from his Registrar role to seek election as Treasurer of Massachusetts. He secured the Republican nomination by defeating Bruce A. Herzfelder with 53% of the primary vote but was ultimately defeated in the general election by Democrat Tim Cahill, with Cahill receiving 51% compared to Grabauskas’s 41%.
Secretary of Transportation
Following his electoral loss, Governor-elect Mitt Romney appointed Grabauskas as Secretary of Transportation and Construction.[1] During this period, he also served on the board of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.[2] His administration championed a "fix it first" approach that emphasized prioritizing maintenance over new construction.[3] He developed the state’s inaugural 20-year transportation plan which allocated at least three-quarters of new capital investments toward sustaining and enhancing existing infrastructure such as bridge repairs, highway rehabilitation, congestion relief efforts, and transit maintenance. The plan permitted limited expansion projects that met criteria including federal funding availability, community endorsement, and local financial participation.[4]
MBTA General Manager
In 2005, Grabauskas transitioned from his position as Transportation Secretary to assume the role of General Manager at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Over the course of more than four years, the MBTA shifted from using tokens to implementing the CharlieCard, completed the development of the Greenbush Line, and introduced WiFi connectivity on both commuter rail trains and ferry vessels.
Amid persistent financial difficulties, customer service challenges, and his management of two subway incidents, the MBTA terminated Grabauskas' contract in 2009. This decision, influenced by Governor Deval Patrick and Transportation Secretary James Aloisi, sparked criticism from the Massachusetts Republican Party, which labeled it as scapegoating, as well as from Democrats such as Thomas Menino and Steven Baddour, who perceived it as a politically motivated action detrimental to taxpayers.
After leaving the MBTA, Grabauskas took on roles as a senior fellow in public policy at MassINC and served as chairman and senior strategic adviser at the Bronner Center for Transportation Management.
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
In March 2012, Grabauskas was named Executive Director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), entering into a three-year agreement with an annual base pay of $245,000, supplemented by housing and transportation benefits along with a performance-based bonus. HART oversees Hawaii's largest infrastructure project—the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project. This $9.2 billion initiative involves constructing a 20-mile automated rail line anticipated to begin operations in 2019, featuring 80 rail cars, 21 stations, a 43-acre maintenance yard, and several park-and-ride facilities.
Grabauskas stepped down in August 2016, after which HART Board member Michael D. Formby was appointed as interim director.