The MBTA is in crisis. We’ve been hearing this refrain seemingly on a daily basis, after two trains derailed in less than one week and myriad other issues have rendered riders frustrated and clamoring for change. These events have made it abundantly clear: the status quo at the T simply won’t cut it anymore.
The Red Line derailment in Dorchester continues to impact the daily commute for thousands of riders across Greater Boston, and we’re told it will remain a problem at least through the summer. The derailment has exposed significant longstanding issues at the MBTA, and officials who have the power to fix this mess are finally taking note.
While it’s critical for our communities and our region’s economy to get the Red Line up and running as quickly and safely as possible, we cannot simply call it a day once that happens. There are other major problems at the MBTA that must get the same attention. The next priority must be correcting the litany of problems with our bus network.
Traffic in Boston is getting worse and bus riders have long suffered the consequences. Bus rides make up a significant number of trips in our transit system, and those passengers have languished in gridlock or waited at bus stops far too long with little resolution.
Conservation Law Foundation and other transportation advocates, in support of Chelsea residents and workers, have been pushing for years to add additional drivers and buses to routes like the 111 in Chelsea. Route 111 primarily transports transit-dependent riders to jobs downtown, and it is delayed, canceled, or too crowded to board far too frequently. Riders of route 116/117 between Chelsea and East Boston are also chronically plagued with an unacceptably slow and crowded commute. And this situation is true for many routes across the MBTA bus system.
Also, when trains derail, buses and drivers are pulled off their routine routes and diverted to help shuttle displaced train passengers, which leaves bus riders even more delayed and frustrated. While this helps commuters in one part of the system harmed by unreliable train service, it further burdens bus riders elsewhere.
To add insult to injury, the fare hikes that took effect last week continue to unfairly penalize riders who pay with cash, and who often have no option other than public transit. For example, a one-way cash fare on the Green Line trolley now costs $0.50 more than the CharlieCard fare for the same ride. The one-way cash fare on the bus now costs $0.30 more. Those who pay with cash are often our neighbors who can least afford to shell out more for their ride.
While the recent derailments have rightfully exposed many longstanding issues within the MBTA, we cannot lose focus of the ever-worsening conditions for bus riders across the system. In June, bus on-time performance was 69 percent - compared to the commuter rail, which was 91 percent. Buses typically transport more than three times the number of riders as the commuter rail on a given weekday, and this dismal on-time performance affects thousands of passengers.
To their credit, administration officials have announced plans to reform the way repair and modernization work is done and plow $50 million into the system for fixes and new hires. But the details matter. This immediate infusion of cash must be distributed fairly to projects across the entire MBTA system. New hires should include permanent bus drivers that can add sorely-needed capacity to already overcrowded and slow bus routes like the 111 and 116/117.
Modernization projects must include more dedicated bus lanes and signal priority projects to provide true bus rapid transit that will get riders where they need to go without the delays that have become all too common. These projects must also focus on reducing harmful emissions that disproportionately impact communities of color.
Advocates have been calling for additional transportation funding for years, and those in power have finally taken note. While this funding is much-needed and comes not a moment too soon, it’s time we step up and treat all riders equally, whether they take the bus or the train.
Staci Rubin is Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. Maria Belen Power is Associate Executive Director, GreenRoots, Inc.
