BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority needs another $1 billion to complete infrastructure improvements on its rapid-transit Orange and Red lines, the Boston Herald reports.
That’s beyond the $1.6 billion already budgeted in its capital investment plan.
While the agency recently completed a 30-day shutdown of the Orange Line to address pressing maintenance needs, additional maintenance work is needed, along with installation of a new signal system. The Red Line also needs significant track replacement work along with expansion of its Codman Yard facility, a project including the addition of six new tracks scheduled to begin this fall.
Angel Pena, the MBTA’s chief of capital transformation, said the agency is committed to finding the funding needed for both projects. Separate plans for “furthering the transformation” of the two lines will released in spring 2023, he told the Herald.
Hmmm.
Could the $1 Billion shortfall have been discovered after the Infrastructure Bill was passed?
What other transit systems will suddenly discover huge shortfalls when they discover Other Peoples’ Money is available?
Or am I being cynical?
Aside from the Covid 19 crisis and debate, Years of neglect and deferred maintence and indifference to public transportation has brought many transit systems to the point of breakdown and collapse. This is a nation that has a love affair with cars and highways and for long distance travel the airplane. Our government and local ones have only added to the crisis by either vetoing resolutions and funds to either rebuild or add to our transit systems or would rather pour money into more highways. This also includes bus systems as well as rail Joseph C. Markfelder
They are suffering loss of ridership because of the disease, not the so-called “political decisions.” Also, remote work, centered in cities, is not going away. This was not the result of the “political decisions” either. This was the result of businesses that wanted to protect their staffs and wanted to reduce their office costs.
Considering that MBTA ridership is down by half, the result of America’s insane overreaction to COVID, how does MBTA plan to sustain itself?
The Red Line is America’s best subway, but it has become expensive. The proposed billion dollars (for the Red and Orange Lines) is on top of a whole lot of money poured into the Quincy – Braintree Red Line extension, which has needed massive rebuilding after the age of about 35 to 40 years.
Charles how about keeping your opinions on the Covid pandemic to yourself.
Chris have you considered that all transit systems are suffering declines in ridership and fares as a result of the political decisions made in response to an Covid-19 pandemic? As a result, the problems their decisions created, the US taxpayer has had to bailout out their budget shortfalls, and it may well take a generation for ridership to recover on some systems. In my opinion, and in this limited context, this makes the pandemic a legitimate topic of discussion on this forum.
All forms of transportation suffered from the Covid virus. Had no political decisions at all been made regarding Covid your logic says our transportation system would be better off. I don’t think so.
America’s reaction to covid was indeed insane: the highest death toll in the World, thanks to a totally botched response and sabotage by the previous administration, who chose to heed right-wing conspiracy nuts instead of their own medical and science staff. Result: more than one million deaths. Wow, great job, really. A great example for the world to see.
Charles, it was a Covid under-reaction that caused this problem. If Trump had half a brain and hadn’t let the problem rage, we’d be much better off.