Former Top Raimondo Aide Now Executive for Embattled 195 Consultant to DOT
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
One of Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s former senior staffers is now employed in the office of the consulting firm that conducted the "failed" analysis for Rhode Island Department of Transportation's (RIDOT) recent closure of a portion of Route I-195.
Matthew Bucci, who served as Senior Advisor to Raimondo until February 2017, jumped to the consulting firm AECOM that same month according to his resume. In 2016, Bucci earned $146,000 a year while in state service.
Since he joined the firm, AECOM’s billing to the State of Rhode Island increased to over $4.8 million in his first year with the company -- a 56 percent increase.
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AECOM has earned in excess of $11.4 million in fiscal years 2016 to 2018 and an additional $1,037,365.02 so far this fiscal year, according to Rhode Island records.
In total. AECOM has been paid more than $12.4 million in just over three years.
Governor Raimondo’s spokesperson denied any linkage between Bucci’s work at AECOM and state contracts or the failed 195 closure. Michael Raia wrote in an email on Tuesday night that Bucci had not been involved with any discussions between AECOM and RIDOT.
Sources tell GoLocal that Bucci does not directly work in Rhode Island on state business.
The ties between Raimondo and AECOM, however, go far deeper. AECOM executives have funneled $21,600 into Raimondo’s campaign account. Of the 36 individual AECOM donations to Raimondo, only seven were made by AECOM officials who live in Rhode Island.
Flawed Work By AECOM?
Following the massive traffic delays when the 195 Gano Street closure was rolled out, GoLocal requested the project's impact study on Friday afternoon from RIDOT.
While it took until Tuesday afternoon for RIDOT officials to provide the AECOM report to GoLocal, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti had already admitted that AECOM's 2015 report is under fire.
“That’ll all be part of what we’re looking at,” said Alviti earlier on Tuesday, in response to a question from WPRI about the possibility getting a refund. “We will be revisiting to see ... where the responsibility lies.”
The AECOM study stated, “This report summarizes the traffic operations for the proposed Washington Bridge rehabilitation on I-195 westbound mainline and traffic detours during the peak hours. The VISSIM simulation model that was developed as part of the Washington Bridge North No. 700-Technical Evaluation Report has been utilized to further analyze the traffic operations on I-195 westbound mainline for the preferred bridge construction alternative.”
The study went on to state, “The model was extended to a point approximately halfway between the Broadway westbound exit ramp and the Route 1A entrance ramp. The purpose of the VISSIM analysis was to: 1) Simulate traffic operations along I-195 corridor during weekday peak hours 2) Identify capacity issues and summarize traffic flow and travel time through the corridor.”
The study by AECOM was not asked to take into account other roadworks on I-195 -- the failure to review multiple construction projects being implemented simultaneously by RIDOT may have diminished the value of the AECOM study.
State payments to AECOM over the past three-plus years, according to state records.
$3.4 million FY 2016
$3.1 million in FY 2017
$4.85 million in FY 2018
$1.03 million in FY 2019
