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Rick Dimino
A new board of directors is now in place at the MBTA, and we will soon learn if this means a new direction for public transit in this region.
For the past six years, MBTA staff and leadership reported to a Fiscal and Management Control Board that closely monitored every aspect of the organization. The meticulous nature of the FMCB produced real progress and a stronger transit agency, but many transformational goals are still years away. Now, there is a new board that will decide to either embrace the blueprints from their predecessors or reconsider new strategies for the future of MBTA.
The FMCB left no stone unturned in identifying the T’s challenges and potential. Most importantly, they effectively answered the key questions about the agency’s value and role in the region. The board developed plans to achieve both the immediate and future goals set out by two transportation commissions created by Gov. Charlie Baker. The next board should focus on implementing these ideas related to infrastructure improvements, fares and new service plans, rather than any attempts to revisit the debates of the past few years.
First Start with Fares
What the board should do right now is find additional ways to enhance public transit in the next year, starting with new approaches for the price of transit passes. Over the next six months, as many workers continue to return to the workplace, the region is vulnerable once again to overwhelming roadway congestion, and there is a real opportunity to test the impact of lower fare prices.
The Chicago Transit Authority announced they will be offering full-service schedules and lower fares on daily and multi-day passes for all of 2022. The MBTA should follow suit and lean in on the value of public transit in this region. There should be promotions that drop the price of MBTA fares by as much as 50 percent for the next six months, and even free parking at underutilized commuter rail lots.
The FMCB also took definitive steps to establishing mean-tested fares program, but this will be subject to approval from this new MBTA board. Means-tested fares are a positive way to support many transit-dependent riders and would be a proud commitment to addressing social equity goals. Hopefully the board move forward with a fair and sensible policy that can be implemented in the next year.
In terms of infrastructure, the FMCB even left a detailed list of priority projects. Major capital projects like the electrification of the commuter rail system and bus network, the Red-Blue connector and acquisition of new Green Line vehicles will require additional financial resources, but these projects would address climate, equity and mobility goals, while also improving customer experience. The new board should realize the federal infrastructure bill before Congress is the best opportunity in generations to advance these projects with federal funds.
Don’t Fall for Old Myths
Finally, this board will have to grapple with the MBTA’s future funding needs. Historically, this debate often becomes a choice between reform and revenue. The FMCB operated under this political reality for years and determined the MBTA needs both. They left behind a record of saving over $1 billion in six years, and they produced a report on all efforts to find budgetary savings and improve productivity. This guide will enable the next board to understand the lessons from recent reform efforts, such as outsourcing and attempts to increase own-source revenue, and help persuade them to avoid false myths on the budgetary options facing the MBTA.
This is a rare moment when the MBTA operating budget is stable because of federal transit aid. The MBTA received almost $2 billion through three different COVID relief bills and the operating budget is able to support full service until 2024. Of course, in a few years, there will need to be a debate about a comprehensive finance plan that supports the MBTA, but this debate can wait until next year. Legislative leaders, the business community and stakeholders will all need to unite on solutions to the operating budget challenges, but this debate should not prevent action this year on pilot programs for new fares, new service schedules and even jump-starts for the essential infrastructure projects identified by the FMCB.
The MBTA is more than a transit agency; it is an economic development and opportunity provider. The FMCB understood this, and their final recommendations reflect in uncertain terms that robust public transit is essential to addressing the needs of our residents, workforce, economy and environment. This new board is now given incredible opportunity to accelerate these current action plans, continue the progress and create a legacy that can benefit the region for generations to come. Let’s keep moving forward with an MBTA we deserve and an MBTA the FMCB wanted to deliver.
Rick Dimino is CEO of A Better City
