Beacon Hill Reaches Deal on New MBTA Board
A deal between legislators to set up permanent mail-in voting rules would also convene a new MBTA board of directors to oversee the transit agency.
Senate Leaders Offer Plan for New MBTA Oversight Board
The Senate later this week will debate a $261.6 million spending bill that does not include House-backed election reforms
Overhaul of MBTA Board Cast Aside in House Budget Talks
With slightly more than eight weeks until the MBTA’s board expires and no vote on its successor in the House budget plan, lawmakers still need to choose a plan and a vehicle for the future of the T management and oversight.
MBTA Board Must Stand Up to Baker
News of successful COVID-19 vaccines created a “light at the end of the tunnel” of pain the MBTA’s finances are currently in. But instead of helping us get there, Gov. Charlie Baker and MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack are packing dynamite around the tunnel walls.
Realtor, Bankers, Developers Among MetroWest’s ‘Most Influential Business People of Color’
A new initiative by the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber of Commerce has identified several prominent members of the banking and real estate industries as being among the 50 most influential businesspeople of color in the MetroWest area.
House, Senate Agree on MBTA Board
House and Senate leaders reached an agreement Thursday to keep the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board in place for another year.
Commuter Rail Operator Extended Through At Least 2025
Keolis Commuter Services, the French company that had fallen out of favor early in its contract, will continue to operate the Massachusetts commuter rail system until at least 2025 under a renegotiated contract approved by the MBTA Board on Monday.
House, Senate at Odds Over MBTA Board as Deadline Looms
With less than a month to go before the MBTA’s Fiscal Management and Control Board expires, the House and Senate can’t agree on the body that will replace it.
DeLeo: Back Burner Not the Place for Transportation Priorities
While the House waits for the Senate to decide how it will handle transportation tax and borrowing bills, Speaker Robert DeLeo said lawmakers must treat the topic as a top priority even while juggling the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advocates Urge Greater Independence for T Oversight Panel
A group of transportation advocacy groups and an MBTA watchdog suggested Monday that the successor to the Fiscal and Management Control Board should be built as a larger, permanent panel that operates more independently of the Department of Transportation.
Successor to MBTA Control Board on Beacon Hill To-Do List
Preparing to sign off this summer after five years of overseeing the T, the Fiscal and Management Control Board urged lawmakers to act by mid-spring to put a successor organization in place.
MBTA Drafting Plan to Address Safety Woes
The MBTA will develop a formal plan over the next few months to address deficiencies in safety culture highlighted by an independent panel of experts, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said Monday.
MBTA Board Backs Commuter Rail Transformation
The MBTA’s board on Monday voted to back substantial investment in the commuter rail system, outlining support for electrifying the system and running more frequent service through the most dense corridors.
On-Time Record Of Local Buses Not Improving
The lackluster reliability of MBTA buses, particularly those on smaller local routes, drew sharp criticism by one T oversight board member Monday who described the system’s performance as “beyond unacceptable.”
Everett, Boston, Lynn Mayors Plead for Faster, Cheaper Commuter Rail
Their specific requests varied, but the roughly half-dozen mayors and state lawmakers who addressed the MBTA’s oversight board Monday all echoed a common theme: that expanding service and connectivity on the commuter rail will bring significant benefits for the riding public, regardless of costs.
Lynn Asks for More Frequent Commuter Rail Service at Subway Prices
The city delegation has long pushed for better connectivity between Boston and the North Shore, lamenting the congested highways and tunnels many residents endure to get to work.
Transit Leaders ‘Very Worried’ Green Line Construction Falling Behind
State transportation officials were hesitant to use the word “delay,” but expressed concerns Monday that work on the Green Line Extension is running behind an internal target with about two years remaining until passenger service is set to begin.
MBTA Plans Huge Weekend Closures to Speed Repair Work
In an effort to accelerate years of repair work on its aging infrastructure, the MBTA plans to close substantial portions of its subway lines over several weekends this fall on top of ongoing repair work happening at night.
As T Searches for Derailment Cause, Walsh Wants Seat on its Board
Fallout from last week’s Red Line derailment can now include a new push to change the MBTA’s governance structure.
Chamber Chief Slams MBTA, Calls for ‘Bolder Solutions’
Frustrated with a recent series of announcements, Boston-area employers are growing impatient with the MBTA and demanding that it consider “bolder solutions,” including farming out capital spending oversight to a new entity.
