November 4, 2009
Meghna Chakrabarti, WBUR

A MAJOR INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF MBTA FINANCES concludes that the T is buried under a mountain of debt that is now compromising safety and reliability because the authority cannot afford to make critical upgrades and repairs.

The 36-page report (PDF), authored by former John Hancock head David D’Alessandro, found 51 projects as a “danger to life or limb of passengers” and that $543 million in “safety-critical projects are not being funded.”

[...]

MBTA rider advocates cautiously applauded the report. "The MBTA has a long way to go to improving customer relationship and trust. Transparency is an enormous part of that," said Lee Matsueda of the T Riders Union.

"We acknowledge that there is a massive state of good repair issue that needs to be addressed," Matsueda said. "Safety is always an issue. Without new resources for public transportation, we’re not doing justice to the issue of safety."

Matsueda called for the Legislature to relieve the T of part of its debt.

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