What's New
In February, Governor Patrick announced a strong transportation reform and revenue plan, anchored by an increase to the state gas tax, to support the MBTA and other transportation needs across Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the legislature has rejected that plan, instead increasing the sales tax and carving out a smaller amount of funding for transportation.
While this amount is inadequate to address all the state's transportation needs, the MBTA must receive $160 million of the new revenue to prevent massive fare hikes and devastating service cuts.
Overview
The MBTA has undergone major changes in the past several years. Unfortunately
the authority falls dramatically short of what it needs to be, and is facing
major financial problems as it moves forward.
At the heart of the problem
is that the T spends more than a quarter of its annual budget paying off $8
billion of debt (with interest), much of it from state transit commitments to
offset Big Dig air pollution that should be paid for by the state and not by T
riders.
Now the T is facing a downward spiral in which the authority
cannot generate the revenue necessary to achieve a state of good repair, meaning
that the MBTA cannot improve service quality, retain and attract riders, and
increase revenue over time.
Until this debt burden is solved, the MBTA
will continue to request rate hikes to bridge its operating deficits, and will
do nothing to address the backlog of needed service
improvements.
MASSPIRG supports legislation filed by Representatives Carl
Sciortino and Alice Wolf to increase the state gas tax by 12 cents and dedicate
that funding to address Big Dig debt, improve service, and keep fares
affordable.
