February 28, 2010
By Noah Bierman, Boston Globe

It’s the least wonderful time of the year for MBTA riders, when the T sorts out how broke it is for the coming budget year in July.

The good news for passengers is that Governor Deval Patrick promised in November that the T would not raise fares this year. But his pledge does not guarantee commuters will be held harmless.

It’s looking like the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will have a substantial deficit, which could mean cuts in service in the short-term, more debt restructuring, or both. The debt restructuring is a concern because growing interest payments on the T’s multibillion-dollar debt is a major reason the T keeps getting into this bind every year.

Last year, when service cuts were being deliberated, the T was looking at serious measures: cutting night and weekend runs on the subways in half and eliminating them on commuter rail. No one who takes a bus, boat, trolley, or train would have been spared the damage from the broad range of cuts, which were put off by a last-minute bailout from the Legislature.

“It’s a real high-volume concern of ours,’’ said Taisha O’Bryant, chairwoman of the T Riders Union, which has been frustrated that lawmakers have been unable to create a long-term fix for the T.

O’Bryant, who was on her way to catch on Orange Line train during a phone interview last week, said people in low-income communities, who, like her, depend on public transportation, would be hit especially hard if routes are cut or service is less frequent.

“How are they going to get to their jobs?’’ she said.

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