Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is creating a commission to study the problems at the MBTA — though this is not a completely original idea.
The T has been paralyzed by winter weather and is still running on an abbreviated schedule. Riders have been furious. General Manager Beverly Scott has resigned. And so Baker is creating a commission, though not the first one. There was Silveira Commission of 2007, then the D'Alessandro commission of 2009. Baker says he understands there's been research in the past, but added, "One of the things you get out of a crisis like this is some of the most significant issues find their way to the top of the pile and you can start talking about them in a way that maybe you couldn’t before."
Efforts to address chronic problems at the MBTA have been constrained by leftover debt from the Big Dig, union contracts, and, of course, politics. Baker's panel has 30 days to make recommendations.
