MBTA in a state of disrepair. (New Bedford, Medford: water, capita, road)

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Is this a good use of 8 million dollars? To keep 3 bus routes FREE for the next 2 years?

https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-...-free/46664163

A couple of things:

• This is paid for with federal ARPA funding, not money from the city's operating budget. The list of things that can money can be used for is fairly limited (all of it at least loosely connected to social, economic, and public health pandemic relief).
• 12 million trips have been taken on the fare-free routes in the past 2 years. If that number remains the same over the next 2 years, it works out to be about $0.67 per trip. Pretty reasonable.
• ARPA funds need to be spent by the end of 2026 which means that uses are limited to things ready to be funded in the relative short term, not projects or initiatives that are still in the early planning phases.

I'm sure people could make arguments for other uses that are both eligible under ARPA funding requirements and have plenty of merit. But funding 3 bus routes predominantly used by low income riders for 2 years without drawing on the city's operating budget or the cash-strapped MBTA's operating budget seems like a pretty good use to me.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by msRB311

most other cities don't have the awful public transit problems that Boston has.

lol.. that rapid transit system in Detroit is just killing the game.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

lol.. that rapid transit system in Detroit is just killing the game.

I know nothing about Detroit's transit system....but they do have one.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

lol.. that rapid transit system in Detroit is just killing the game.

It's mostly just busses and a circulator but it's actually pretty useful and they have a “FAST” bus that's awesome. Not a big Detroit fan at all but it's public transit was very very easy to navigate

[lrfox]

Even by MBTA standards, this morning was rough: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/...power-problem/ (Globe paywall).

3 of 4 lines were out of service due to a power outage at North Station. Absolutely nuts that a single outage can have such a wide reaching impact.

[msRB311]

https://www.wcvb.com/article/red-lin...setts/46890330

Buses replace some Red Line MBTA service amid reported fire

[GeePee]

Red line should just throw in the towel at this point

[msRB311]

It's almost comical at this point. It wouldn't be funny if I depended on it but it's something every week. Fires (!) seems to be a regular occurrence.

[bostongymjunkie]

Green Line service impacted by train derailment near Kenmore

https://www.boston25news.com/news/lo...IAGNROO3WBKOE/

[MrDee12345]

The more this continues, the more I put so much of the MBTA's failure on Charlie Baker. I was a big defender of him during his tenure as governor (as I watched from abroad). He certainly had some good qualities regarding other areas of government, but I believe that his approach to fixing the T turned about to be lacking.

When he started, I supported his view that we needed to cut out the T's excesses, but just because we were cutting excesses, didn't mean we should neglect other areas that need funding and/or improvement.