Three Bay State congressmen met with leaders from the MBTA Monday, once they had been introduced with the transit system’s plan — or lack thereof — to forestall future service disruptions just like the shutdown of the Orange Line.
“I was aghast. I found it frighteningly disappointing and disillusioning,” U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton advised the Herald. “They proudly walked through their 30-day maintenance plan and detailed the work they are doing, and because I have some background in railway operations I recognized everything they described is completely rudimentary.”
The Salem Democrat joined Boston’s Rep. Stephen Lynch and Newton’s Rep. Jake Auchincloss for a gathering with MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak and different MBTA officers on the unprecedented monthlong shutdown of the Orange Line and different “diversions” aimed toward shoring up a number of velocity restrictions brought on by upkeep considerations.
Both Moulton and Auchincloss agreed to talk to the Herald after their assembly and neither congressman appeared happy at what they heard.
“The very basic things they described, like replacing tracks and switches, are things railways have done for a century and a half in their sleep. I thought they were going to describe rebuilding the track structure from the ground up, replacing entire stations or bridges,” Moulton mentioned. “They are not doing any of that, they are doing the most basic stuff.”
“This would be like shutting down all of I-93 to fill potholes and paint lane lines,” he mentioned.
According to Auchincloss, the company doesn’t want more money, however desperately wants a long-term plan for hiring and upkeep.
“This is about manpower and maintenance, not about money. The federal government has provided unprecedented sums to the MBTA for maintenance and investment,” he mentioned. “What we need to see going forward are five year plans for their workforce. They need to hire at least 2,000 people over the next two years.”
Auchincloss mentioned he wouldn’t prefer to see the Federal Transit Administration start receivership oversight of the system, however that “strong supervision” by the federal authorities is perhaps mandatory, contemplating the circumstances.
“The FTA has already demonstrated its value on enforcing the issue on safety upgrades. I think it should stay in close oversight of the MBTA,” he mentioned. “(But) I’m a former local official and I strongly believe that state and local officials should be running the MBTA.”
Moulton mentioned an FTA takeover isn’t going to assist clear up the actual drawback on the transit system, which he mentioned is cultural.
“We need much more fundamental changes at the MBTA, from top to bottom, to change the culture of the organization, change their hiring practices, their personnel system, and the level of expertise among their managers,” he mentioned. “The problem is, I don’t think the feds are going to fix this on their own either. They will say you need to follow this federal regulation. They won’t institute the culture change we need.”
Both congressmen agreed that the service wants to supply a greater product in an effort to transfer ahead.
“I love the MBTA, I love public transportation, I’ve been a ‘free the T guy’ for a long time now,” Auchincloss mentioned. “But the MBTA is not meeting the mark for my constituents right now. It costs more to take the commuter rail, for example, from outside of 495 into Boston, than it would to drive. That’s ridiculous.”
“A good transit system is one that people want to ride, because it’s faster and more pleasant than driving,” Moulton mentioned. “Not only is the T obviously not that, but when have you heard anyone at the T state that as a goal?”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”