December 5, 2011
by Lauren Dezenski, The Daily Free Press

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is looking for the public’s input on its recently released plans to upgrade and modernize the transit system.

On Monday, the MBTA began its open comment period for the Draft Capital Investment Program for fiscal years 2013 through 2017, which has a drafted $4 billion in capital expenditures that maintain and replace current infrastructure and build expansion projects.

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T Riders Union chair Stuart Spina said in a phone interview that he thought everything in the CIP report “needs to be done,” and showed the T was making the best use of its resources.

“The upgrades may not be as glamorous as new trains,” Spina said, “but it’s all important for being able to increase service.”

It is important for the public to understand the MBTA budget, Spina said.

“People are confusing the capital and operating budgets,” he said. “It’s not like if they stopped upgrading the stations and trains that there would be a new Green Line train. It’s two different pots of money.”

In light of the report’s plan to upgrade trains, with some Green Line trains more than 60 years old, Spina said it was amazing that service has been maintained at its current levels.

“This should be a wake up call to the powers at be that transit systems aren’t receiving adequate funding,” he said. “The key thing is getting more funding and not talking about cuts.”

Spina said there is a dire future ahead if further steps are not taken to solve the MBTA’s budget issues.

“If there is no legislative action figuring out what to do, there will always be the looming threat of fare increases and service cuts,” Spina said. “In the end, we’ll be left with a system that only runs at rush hour and only a few people can afford.”

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