August 31, 2022

Senators Warren and Markey Demand Stronger Leadership and Increased Investments in MBTA in response to FTA Findings

Washington, D.C. – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement in response to the Federal Transit Administration report on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA):

 “The Federal Transit Administration’s report underscores what we already know: the MBTA’s current crises are the unprecedented consequences of systemic negligence, underinvestment, and mismanagement of Greater Boston’s public transit system. It is shameful for the first public transportation system in our country to have reached this entirely preventable point, where deep service cuts and wholesale shutdowns of subway lines are deemed necessary to get the T back on track. It is unacceptable that the MBTA has forced riders to carry the burden of the Baker Administration’s failures.

“The FTA’s investigation and the Orange and Green Line shutdowns demonstrate our deep need for a transit system that is truly a public good and effectively serves the needs of the residents of Massachusetts, especially the Black, brown, disabled, low-income, and other marginalized communities who disproportionately ride the T. Building a safer, more accessible, and more reliable T will require partnership from federal, state, and municipal government offices, as well as advocates and riders who know better than anyone how public transit shapes our lives.

“While the FTA should remain an active player in helping fix the T, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must take seriously its role in conducting robust safety oversight of the MBTA by using the tools the Department of Public Utilities already has as an oversight agency and incorporating the key perspectives of local and municipal leaders. In Congress, we will keep fighting for bold federal investments to make the T safe, sustainable, accessible, reliable, and free. We are proud to have secured over $580 million in federal funding for the MBTA this year, in addition to billions of dollars in federal formula funding that will come to the state over the next five years, and we will continue to ensure that Massachusetts sees the immense benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.”

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