As employees proceed to return to the workplace, chamber boss James Rooney worries a insecurity within the public transportation system may harm a rebound.
“When you look at the dynamics right now, as business is navigating this return to the workplace moment, one of the No. 1 employee concerns is the commute,” Rooney advised the Herald. “It’s not security of the office. It’s not being round different individuals.
“What employees are saying is they don’t have confidence in the T and many of them are driving and the data supports that,” the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president and CEO added.
Rooney mentioned site visitors is again to pre-pandemic ranges and downtown parking garages are full. Employees are telling their employers that they don’t need to take the MBTA, he mentioned.
“We need to understand, for the dynamics and the vibrancy of the downtown district, it’s all about people,” he mentioned. “It’s all about people wanting to come down to the downtown district and the T plays a key role in that.”
Rooney mentioned the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce determined to weigh in on the matter, first by utilizing his personal Twitter account on Wednesday, to mirror what’s on the minds of its members.
Today, a well-functioning transportation system is high of thoughts as they struggle to determine the best way to navigate the hybrid work surroundings, he mentioned.
He mentioned the aim of utilizing social media this week was to maintain the security points on the MBTA within the public consciousness. He mentioned the chamber needs to make sure the T is on the high of the agenda for the subsequent governor.
Rooney mentioned the chamber additionally needs to shift the dialogue from effort to outcomes. He mentioned that whereas he isn’t criticizing the sum of money that has been invested into the T or the trouble of its basic supervisor, “at the same time, we can’t confuse effort with results.”
Further, Rooney reiterated his help of elevated federal oversight on the company, saying that the feds have a capability to pressure some points as soon as they full their investigation.
The T is at the moment the topic of a security probe by the Federal Transit Administration. A Red Line passenger was killed after his arm turned caught in a prepare door and he was dragged in April, and two Green Line subway trains collided final week, injuring 4 MBTA operators.
MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo mentioned the T has been advancing a variety of security initiatives, together with $8 billion in infrastructure and automobile investments over the previous 5 years.
“Unwavering in its commitment to its riders and employees, the MBTA has robust, well-funded plans for delivering safe, accessible and reliable services for decades to come,” Pesaturo mentioned.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”