Lawmakers are finally committed to passing legislation this session that could revamp the MBTA and make it easier for drivers to get into Boston. But the solve will come at a price, and likely a high one.
As lawmakers prepare to debate higher taxes in exchange for better roads, bridges and train service, the vice chair of the MBTA's fiscal management control board, Monica Tibbits-Nutt, plans to make the case that the T needs more revenue to meet riders' expectations.
"This fall is gonna be a turning point for us if we cannot fix part of the system, or at least get on a trajectory to start really doing things that are impacting the riders. I think we're going to continue to lose the public trust," Tibbits-Nutt told WGBH News Wednesday.
The T's already slashed and nearly balanced their budget by significantly lowering operating costs. But Tibbits-Nutt said that any major improvements, whether it's expanded service or just better maintenance, will have to come from taxpayers instead of from the T's fare-paying riders.
"I think it needs to come from gas tax. I think we need additional taxes on Uber and Lyft. I think we really need to start thinking about who is actually impacting the way that our congestion works and how are they going to start paying into this system," Tibbits-Nutt said.
"Because the riders are the only people who are paying in right now and they're the people that already made a decision for an alternative transportation mode. They're not the ones making that congestion worse," Tibbits-Nutt said.
She plans to bring that message to Beacon Hill, along with an insider's perspective on ways to spend more to improve T service, as lawmakers prepare for the debate on higher taxes. Tibbits-Nutt is looking to start small with changes riders will notice, like improving station lighting and cleaning filthy bus stations, like the one in Roxbury's Dudley Square.
"We are that blight in the community now. Neighborhood is gorgeous, except our station. Start there because that's the kind of thing riders immediately see and at the end of the day, it's not a lot of money. So if we can't hose down our stations then we have a much greater problem," she said.
Now it's up to lawmakers to figure out a way to balance the need for new money for the T with the political ramifications of charging drivers more at the pump, or for ride-hailing services. Democratic leaders have promised a major transportation bill sometime this session.
