MBTA's woes put Baker in a tough spot
Gov. Charlie Baker, announcing the creation of a seven-person commission to review MBTA operations: "In order to fix the problems with the MBTA, they first must be diagnosed."
After a month of weather we'd soon like to forget, the MBTA is slowly restoring its service to levels that the system's riders had experienced — and expected — before the first blizzard struck on Jan. 27.
But restoring the public trust in the transit system? That's going to take much longer.
For the thousands who depend on the T to get them to and from work, and that includes hundreds of commuters from Central Massachusetts who ride the train for about three hours a day, the lack of reliability undermines the whole system. Any frustration over the money they pay in fares, which rose 5 percent last summer, is dwarfed by the system's failures that kept them, on many days, from even getting to work.
Funding public transportation is not a new issue in Massachusetts, but it's an issue that is coming home to roost today because of the events of the last five weeks. Fixing the T, which includes the issues of long-term funding and the inadequacy of its antiquated equipment, is a topic that requires a deep discussion. That's why Gov. Charlie Baker made the right call last month when he assigned a seven-person commission to review the system's most pressing issues and recommend possible solutions.
Clearly, this is not an issue merely for those who live inside the Route 128 belt. The T has become increasingly important to commuters beyond Greater Boston, especially in Central Massachusetts, which has become a key beneficiary of commuter rail expansion over the last 20 years. Especially over the last two years, the increased service on the Framingham-Worcester line — with former lieutenant governor Timothy Murray at the forefront — has helped ease congestion on what has become one of the T's busiest stretches of rail outside the subway system.
But, over the last 25 years, as the system grew to accommodate more of the growing population living outside the Boston area, so have the calls for more funding at the T, either to cover an operational deficit or to upgrade equipment. Clearly, the time has arrived to take a long, hard look at the system and — pun intended — put it back on the right track.
There has been a loud call for more funding, either through fare increases, taxation or capital spending. But the review must begin by looking at the system's cost structure and wringing out whatever inefficiencies can be found. The T needs to be able to operate effectively, but it will take meaningful reforms as well as new investments to reach the desired outcome.
Once that's done, any request for more money will have a stronger justification. Baker should demand any recommended reforms before he has to make the hard choices on new funding. Will he eventually abandon his campaign pledge to hold the line on taxes, and allow a hike in the gasoline tax? Will he advocate a capital improvement campaign financed through bonds? The governor has not been allowed the traditional first 100 days to settle into the job and establish his priorities. The brutal winter has forced the issue, and what to do with the T has reached a crisis stage and demands strong leadership now.
Many elected officials face a conundrum after they take office when tough choices force them to come face to face with campaign pledges that may not be prudent to keep. But the stakes are high when it comes to public transit, especially today, as Boston vies to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and would like to boast of a robust public transportation network that can successfully move the expected millions who would come to the Bay State in nine years should Boston win the bid.
Further, urban areas are increasingly popular for millennials as places to settle down, and the pressure on public transit to remain a reliable, more cost-effective way to commute to work is only increasing. Part of the selling strategy for attracting new residents to Central Massachusetts is easy access to Boston. Getting public transportation right is a critical issue for the long-term viability of the state, not just the commuters who have been stranded by the recent winter storms.
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